An American MQ-9 Reaper flying close to Yemen has been shot down by Houthi militants, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC Information on Tuesday.
The Houthis stated they’d focused the Reaper in addition to two American ships within the Gulf of Aden in a press release Monday.
That is their second downing of a Reaper, having shot one down one in worldwide airspace near Yemen in November.
MORE: Unmanned Houthi submarines pose new threat to US warships in Red Sea
The U.S. has designated the Houthis, who’re backed by Iran, as a worldwide terrorist group amid rising regional tensions and a constant deployment of missiles and drones in opposition to one another since battle in Gaza broke out.
MORE: US, UK launch large-scale retaliatory strikes against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen
The U.S. carried out what it calls 5 self-defense strikes Sunday in opposition to the Houthis, considered one of which focused an unmanned underwater vessel, the primary submarine the U.S. says the Houthis have employed since tensions started to flare in October.
The remotely-operated Reaper is charged primarily with intelligence gathering and prices greater than $50 million, in response to the Air Power.
ABC Information’ Anne Flaherty and Will Gretsky contributed to this report.
Houthis shoot down US MQ-9 Reaper drone flying near Yemen initially appeared on abcnews.go.com
