Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim to have shot down another US MQ-9 drone

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels said early Sunday they had shot down another American-made MQ-9 drone flying over the country, in what may be the last time a multimillion-dollar surveillance plane has been shot down. The United States responded with airstrikes in Houthi-held territory, the rebels said.

The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Houthi allegations. The rebels have not provided photos or videos to support their claims, as they have done in the past, even though such evidence may appear in propaganda images days later.

However, the Houthis have repeatedly shot down General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones in the years since they seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Such attacks have increased exponentially since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas and the Houthis launched their campaign targeting shipping in the Red Sea corridor.

Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree made the statement in a pre-recorded video message. He said the Houthis shot down the drone over Yemen’s Marib province, a long-contested area that is home to key oil and gas fields and is held by allies in a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting the rebels since 2015.

Saree did not provide any details on how the rebels shot down the plane. However, Iran has been equipping the rebels with a surface-to-air missile known as the 358 for years. Iran denies arming the rebels, although Tehran-made weapons have been found on the battlefield and in maritime shipments bound for Yemen, despite a U.N. arms embargo.

The Houthis “continue to fulfill their jihadist duty for the victory of the oppressed Palestinian people and for the defense of dear Yemen,” Saree said.

The Reapers, which cost about $30 million each, can fly at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet and have an endurance of 24 hours before having to land. The planes have been used by the U.S. military and the CIA over Yemen for years.

Following the statement, the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel reported several US airstrikes near the city of Ibb. The US military did not immediately acknowledge the strikes, but the Americans have been hitting Houthi targets intensively since January.

The Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant ships with missiles and drones since the Gaza war began in October, seizing one ship and sinking two in a campaign that also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or have failed to hit their targets, which also included Western military vessels.

The rebels say they are targeting ships linked to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom 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.

Among those attacks is the barrage that hit the Greek oil tanker Sounion in the Red Sea. Last week, rescuers abandoned an initial attempt to tow the burning tanker, leaving the Sounion stranded and its million barrels of oil at risk of spilling.