The Pentagon is currently conducting an investigation into the crash of an MQ-9 Reaper drone in Yemen, which occurred on thursday. The incident, reported by a U.S. official on Friday, took place on Thursday with no injuries reported. The investigation aims to determine if the drone was shot down by Houthi rebels, marking what could be the third such incident involving an MQ-9 Reaper.
U.S. officials have confirmed that footage circulating online yesterday showed the downing of an MQ-9 Reaper surveillance drone, with many believing the downing was caused by a Houthi surface-to-air missile system in the Saada Governorate of Northwestern Yemen. The drone subsequently crashed in the Red Sea.
Yemen’s Houthis say they shot downed American MQ-9 Reaper UAV yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Gkb0iMF8ag
— Clash Report (@clashreport) April 26, 2024
The MQ-9 Reaper is primarily utilized for intelligence collection and has capabilities for strike, coordination, and reconnaissance, according to a U.S. Air Force fact sheet. Each drone is valued at approximately $30 million.
Alongside the drone incident, the Houthi rebels also claimed responsibility for an attack on the M/T Andromeda Star, a Panamanian-flagged and British-owned oil tanker in the Red Sea. This attack occurred on the same day as the drone crash and involved at least three anti-ship missiles, with two hitting the tanker. The extent of the damage remains unclear. The Houthis have targeted over 100 vessels in the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden recently, actions which they describe as protests against U.S. support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas. However, U.S. officials have noted that many of the targeted vessels have no direct ties to Israel.
The Houthi Terrorist Group in Western Yemen has just released a Statement in which they claim Responsibility for the Shoot Down yesterday of a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 “Reaper” Surveillance Drone over Northwestern Yemen, as well as a Missile Attack earlier today on the… pic.twitter.com/asPwOqjIz2
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 26, 2024
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