US forces have continued their airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, despite another claim of a drone being shot down by the group. The US military acknowledged receiving reports of the downing but declined to comment further.
Houthi rebels claimed to have felled an MQ-9 Reaper drone in Marib governorate, which is controlled by Yemen’s exiled central government and has oil and gas fields still under its control. Footage showed flames and a man claiming a drone had been shot down.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, separately claimed to have targeted the drone with a locally manufactured missile. The US military operates MQ-9 Reapers, which cost around $30 million each, in the region.
The Houthis claim they’ve shot down 20 of these drones over the years, including 16 during their recent campaign against Israel and Hamas. This latest incident brings to light the extent of the ongoing conflict between the Houthis and US forces.
A new operation began March 15, targeting not only launch sites but also ranking personnel and cities. The Houthis say at least 61 people have been killed in these airstrikes.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthis-mq9-shot-down-israel-hamas-war-us-airstrikes-6bd7764ba19e84d2dddac0d3c762459a