Houthi rebels shoot down second US drone in a week

Houthi rebels in Yemen announced on Tuesday, May 21 that they had shot down another American drone over the Arabian Peninsula.

The United States military confirmed reports of the downing of one of its drones.

Last week, the Houthis also shot down a MQ-9 Reaper drone of the US army over Marib province.

A Houthi military spokesperson said on Tuesday that the second US drone was brought down over Yemen with a surface-to-air missile.

The United States and Western countries have accused the Islamic Republic of providing weapons and intelligence to the Houthis.

Houthi insurgents have shot down at least five US military drones since the start of Yemen’s civil war in 2014, when they seized control of much of northern Yemen and the capital, Sanaa.

According to the Associated Press, each of these drones costs about $30 million.

In recent months, the Houthis have increased their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They began attacking ships in November last year in response to the Gaza war and demanded Israel to end the war.

According to the US Maritime Administration, the Houthis have attacked more than 50 ships from November 2023 to date, seized one ship, and sank another.

Maritime traffic in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has drastically reduced due to increased threats. Last week, Houthi rebels claimed to have launched a missile at a US Navy destroyer in the Red Sea, but the US military countered, stating that the destroyer successfully intercepted and destroyed the anti-ship ballistic missile.

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