Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed on Monday that they shot down another American-made MQ-9 Reaper drone over the country, The Associated Press reported.
Videos circulating online allegedly show a surface-to-air missile striking the drone, and the US military confirmed the loss of a drone.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the Houthis, announced in a prerecorded message aired Monday night that the rebels had successfully shot down the MQ-9.
This statement followed the online circulation of video footage that purportedly captured the missile striking the aircraft over Yemen’s Saada province. Additionally, a single image of wreckage resembling parts of an MQ-9 appeared online, according to AP.
Further footage released by the Houthis displayed the drone’s electronics piled up, likely for examination to determine any potential gains from the wreckage. One of the components shown appeared to be from an MK-82 bomb, a type of armament used by the Reaper drone.
In response to inquiries from AP, the US military acknowledged that an MQ-9 had been "downed," but provided no further details.
Since the Houthis seized northern Yemen and the capital Sanaa in 2014, Reaper drones have been downed multiple times: in 2017, 2019, 2023, and 2024. The US military acknowledged that the Houthis shot down two MQ-9 drones in September alone.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have upped their attacks in the region since the start of the war in Gaza last October, having launched drones towards southern Israel and targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region.
In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.
The Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes, saying that the campaign against the "Zionist enemy" will continue and that the attacks against the American and British ships will not stop.