American military on investigation as Yemen's Houthi rebels shoot down a US drone as
UNB
Publish: 08 Nov 2024, 12:53 PM
DUBAI,
United Arab Emirates, Nov 8 (AP/UNB)- Yemen's Houthi rebels shot down what
bystanders described as an American drone early Friday, potentially the latest
downing of a U.S. spy drone as the militants continue their attacks on the Red
Sea corridor.
The U.S. military
acknowledged the videos circulating online showing what appeared to be a
flaming aircraft dropping out of the sky and a field of burning debris in what
those off-camera described as an area of Yemen's al-Jawf province. The military
said it was investigating the incident, declining to elaborate further.
It wasn't immediately
clear what kind of aircraft was shot down in the low-quality night video.
The Houthis have
surface-to-air missiles capable of downing aircraft such as the Iranian missile
known as the 358. Iran denies arming the rebels, though Tehran-manufactured
weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in seaborne shipments heading to
Yemen for the Shiite Houthi rebels despite a United Nations arms embargo.
The Houthis have been a
key component of Iran's self-described "Axis of Resistance" during
the Mideast wars that includes Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas and other militant
groups.
The Houthis did not
immediately claim responsibility for downing the aircraft. However, it can take
their fighters hours or even days after an incident before they acknowledge it.
Since Houthis seized the
country's north and its capital of Sanaa in 2014, the rebels have shot down
MQ-9 Reaper drones in Yemen in 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024. The U.S. military has
declined to offer a total figure for the number of drones it has lost during
that time.
Reapers, which cost
around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,240
meters) and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The
aircraft have been flown by both the U.S. military and the CIA over Yemen for
years.
The Houthis have
targeted more than 90 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the
Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip started in October 2023. They seized one
vessel and sank two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other
missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the
Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military
vessels as well.
The rebels maintain that
they target ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the U.K. to force an end to
Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked
have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
The tempo of the Houthi sea attacks also has waxed and waned over the months.
In October, the U.S.
military unleashed B-2 stealth bombers to target underground bunkers used by
the Houthis.
End/UNB/AP/SU