Yemen's Houthi rebels shoot down what witnesses say was a US drone

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — 

Yemen's Houthi rebels changeable down what bystanders described arsenic an American drone aboriginal Friday, perchance the latest downing of a U.S. spy drone arsenic the militants proceed their attacks connected the Red Sea corridor.

The U.S. subject acknowledged the videos circulating online showing what appeared to beryllium a flaming craft dropping retired of the entity and a tract of burning debris successful what those off-camera described arsenic an country of Yemen's al-Jawf province. The subject said it was investigating the incident, declining to elaborate further.

It wasn't instantly wide what benignant of craft was changeable down successful the low-quality nighttime video.

The Houthis person surface-to-air missiles susceptible of downing craft specified arsenic the Iranian rocket known arsenic the 358. Iran denies arming the rebels, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been recovered connected the battlefield and successful seaborne shipments heading to Yemen for the Shiite Houthi rebels contempt a United Nations arms embargo.

The Houthis person been a cardinal constituent of Iran's self-described “Axis of Resistance" during the Mideast wars that includes Lebanon's Hezbollah, Hamas and different militant groups.

The Houthis did not instantly assertion work for downing the aircraft. However, it tin instrumentality their fighters hours oregon adjacent days aft an incidental earlier they admit it.

Since Houthis seized the country’s northbound and its superior of Sanaa successful 2014, the rebels person changeable down MQ-9 Reaper drones successful Yemen successful 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024. The U.S. subject has declined to connection a full fig for the fig of drones it has mislaid during that time.

Reapers, which outgo astir $30 cardinal apiece, tin alert astatine altitudes up to 15,240 meters and person an endurance of up to 24 hours earlier needing to land. The craft person been flown by some the U.S. subject and the CIA implicit Yemen for years.

The Houthis person targeted much than 90 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas warfare successful the Gaza Strip started successful October 2023. They seized 1 vas and sank 2 successful the run that has besides killed 4 sailors. Other missiles and drones person either been intercepted by a U.S.-led conjugation successful the Red Sea oregon failed to scope their targets, which person included Western subject vessels arsenic well.

The rebels support that they people ships linked to Israel, the United States oregon Britain to unit an extremity to Israel’s run against Hamas successful Gaza. However, galore of the ships attacked person small oregon nary transportation to the conflict, including immoderate bound for Iran. The tempo of the Houthi oversea attacks besides has waxed and waned implicit the months.

In October, the U.S. subject unleashed B-2 stealth bombers to people underground bunkers utilized by the Houthis.