Dubai, United Arab Emirates — Another US MQ-9 Reaper drone went down in Yemen, online footage reportedly shows on Wednesday, as Yemen’s Houthi rebels continued to attack ships around the Red Sea over the war between Israel and Hamas.
It was not immediately clear what caused the downing of the drone, but the US military’s Central Command acknowledged seeing “reports” of the downed plane in a desert region of Yemen’s central Marib province. This is potentially the third such shootdown this month alone.
Images posted online and analyzed by The Associated Press showed the MQ-9 face down in the arid desert, with the tail assembly disconnected from the rest of its body. At least one hatch on the drone appeared to have opened after it landed there, although the drone remained largely intact without any clear damage from the explosion. One image included the date Wednesday. Notably, the drone did not appear to have any markings.
Authorities in Marib, which remains in the hands of allies of Yemen’s government-in-exile, did not immediately recognize the drone. Neither did the Houthis, who previously shot down MQ-9 drones during the war.
A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, told the AP that “the U.S. Air Force has not lost any aircraft operating within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.” The official declined to provide further details.
Other US paramilitary forces have flown the drone in Yemen.
Located 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of Sanaa, Marib lies on the edge of the Empty Quarter desert of the Arabian Peninsula, at the foot of the Sarawat Mountains bordering the Red Sea. The province has seen U.S. drones shot down there before, in part because the region remains crucial to the outcome of the years-long war in Yemen.
Since Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when the Houthis seized most of the country’s north and its capital, Sanaa, the U.S. military has lost at least five drones to the rebels. This month alone, there have been two other suspected Reaper shootdowns that the US military has not confirmed.
The reapers cost around $30 million each. They can fly at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (about 15,000 meters) and have a range of up to 24 hours before having to land.
In recent months, the Houthis have stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, demanding that Israel end the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage.
The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seizing one ship and sinking another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration.
Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has slowed due to the threat.
On Wednesday, Houthi military spokesman Brig. General Yahya Saree acknowledged that the rebels attacked the bulk carrier Laax on Tuesday. Saree also claimed responsibility for a series of other attacks on unreported vessels without offering any evidence to support his claim. In the past, the sari has exaggerated Houthi attacks.
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