Another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper went down over Yemen on Wednesday, video footage and images circulating on social media suggest. It is the sixth U.S. MQ-9 Reaper to have been captured by Yemen’s Ansarallah movement and Armed Forces, also known as the Houthis.
It is not confirmed whether the $30 million drone was shot down or if it crashed. Video shows the downed drone seemingly in near-perfect condition. The fourth and fifth MQ-9 Reaper drones were reported downed on the 17th and 21st of May.
Since January, Washington and London have been conducting airstrikes against the Houthis in response to strikes against Red Sea shipping in support of Gaza.
The Joe Biden-led operation has failed to deter the Houthis, however, and U.S. and European Union (EU) maritime task forces have struggled to prevent attacks on ships. These have strained both the Israeli economy and global shipping.
On Wednesday, six ships were targeted in three different seas. They included three ships in the Red Sea, two U.S. ships in the Arabian Sea, and one oil tanker in the Mediterranean. The Houthis have also expanded their missile and drone attacks to the Indian Ocean.
The Houthis have declared that they will continue their operations until the conflict in Gaza ends and adequate aid reaches the Palestinians. Yemeni officials have expressed that the famine in Gaza is a pressing humanitarian crisis warranting global concern and action. “We are working day and night to develop and expand our operations to lift this injustice and stop these crimes against the people of Gaza,” they warned.
In January, Biden openly admitted that his war was not working but vowed to continue it anyway.
“Well when you say ‘[are the strikes] working,’ are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they going to continue? Yes,” he told reporters.
BREAKING | The downing of yet another US MQ-9 drone by the Yemeni Armed Forces in Marib. pic.twitter.com/oNGQlzr3OS
— The Cradle (@TheCradleMedia) May 29, 2024