Yemen’s Houthis announced that they shot down a United States (U.S.) MQ-9 Reaper drone over the central province of Marib.
The Houthis released a video showing the aircraft being hit by a surface-to-air missile in a desert area. This was the third such demolition this month alone. After the crash, they took photos above the aircraft.
The CIA, not the U.S. military, is believed to have flown the Reaper drones over Yemen, both to monitor the war and the campaign against al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, AP writes.
The Reapers cost about $30 million apiece. They can fly at altitudes of up to 15,000 meters and for up to 24 hours before they have to land.
The Houthis have stepped up attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in recent months, demanding that Israel end the Gaza war, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians.
The Houthis have carried out more than 50 attacks on ships since November, seizing one vessel and sinking another, according to the U.S. Maritime Administration, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
