Dubai, United Arab Emirates (September 8, 2024) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed early Sunday that they had shot down another American-made MQ-9 drone over Yemen, marking what could be the latest instance of the downing of this high-value surveillance aircraft. The rebels reported that the U.S. responded with airstrikes in Houthi-controlled areas.
The U.S. military acknowledged the claim but stated that it had “received no reports” of American military drones being downed over Yemen.
The Houthis did not provide immediate photographic or video evidence to support their claim, though such material sometimes appears in propaganda footage days later. Historically, the Houthis have managed to down several General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones since they seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014. The frequency of these incidents has increased since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war and the Houthis’ campaign targeting shipping in the Red Sea corridor.
Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree made the claim in a prerecorded video, stating that the drone was shot down over Marib province, an area crucial for oil and gas production and contested since 2015 by a Saudi-led coalition.
Saree did not disclose the method used to down the drone. However, Iran has reportedly supplied the Houthis with surface-to-air missiles, such as the 358, although Iran denies this and has been accused of violating a U.N. arms embargo.
The Houthis, according to Saree, are acting in support of the Palestinian cause and Yemen’s defense. Reapers, valued at approximately $30 million each, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and remain airborne for up to 24 hours. They have been used extensively by the U.S. military and CIA over Yemen.
Following the claim, the Houthis’ al-Masirah news channel reported U.S.-led airstrikes near Ibb. The U.S. military did not immediately confirm these strikes, although U.S. forces have been targeting Houthi positions intensively since January.
Since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October, the Houthis have targeted over 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, seizing one vessel and sinking two, resulting in the deaths of four sailors. Some of these attacks have targeted ships with minimal or no connection to the conflict, including vessels bound for Iran.
The rebels maintain that their attacks on ships linked to Israel, the U.S., or the U.K. are intended to pressure these nations to end their support for Israel’s actions against Hamas. One notable incident involved the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion in the Red Sea, which remains stranded with its cargo at risk of spilling.
