The downing of the drone, the eighth of its kind shot down by the armed group, was carried out "in a sign of victory for the oppressed Palestinian people and in response to the US-British aggression against Yemen," the Houthi military spokesman said on Saturday. , Yahya Sarea. in a statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The drone was "carrying out hostile acts" when it was intercepted, Sarea added.
However, a source within Yemen's pro-government armed forces said there was "no evidence to support the Houthis' claim that they shot down an American drone."
The anonymous source said that "such claims are often made by the Houthis as a tactic to boost the morale of their fighters in combat."
So far, there has been no confirmation from the United States regarding the Houthis' claim.
The MQ-9, also known as the Reaper, is an unmanned aerial vehicle used primarily by US military and intelligence organizations for surveillance and combat operations.
The Houthi rebels did not offer photographs or videos to support the claim as they have in the past, although such material may appear in propaganda images days later.
However, the Houthis have repeatedly shot down General Atomics' MQ-9 Reaper drones in the years since they seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Such attacks have increased exponentially since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas and the Houthis launched their campaign against shipping. in the Red Sea corridor.
Saree did not offer details on how the rebels shot down the plane. However, Iran has armed the rebels with a surface-to-air missile known as the 358 for years. Iran denies arming the rebels, although Tehran-made weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in sea shipments headed to Yemen despite a United Nations arms embargo.
The Houthis "continue to carry out their jihadist duties in victory for the oppressed Palestinian people and in defense of beloved Yemen," Saree said.
The Reapers, which cost about $30 million each, can fly at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) and have a range of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The planes have been flown by both the US military and the CIA over Yemen for years.
Following the claim, the Houthis' al-Masirah satellite news channel reported multiple US-led airstrikes near the city of Ibb. The US military did not immediately acknowledge the attacks, but the Americans have been heavily attacking Houthi targets since January.
The Houthis have attacked more than 80 merchant ships with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza began in October. They seized one ship and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to hit their targets, which also included Western military vessels.
The rebels say they attack ships linked to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
Those attacks include the bombing that hit the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion in the Red Sea. Last week, rescuers abandoned an initial effort to tow the burning tanker, leaving the Sounion stranded and its million barrels of oil at risk of spilling.
The drone was "carrying out hostile acts" when it was intercepted, Sarea added.
However, a source within Yemen's pro-government armed forces said there was "no evidence to support the Houthis' claim that they shot down an American drone."
The anonymous source said that "such claims are often made by the Houthis as a tactic to boost the morale of their fighters in combat."
So far, there has been no confirmation from the United States regarding the Houthis' claim.
The MQ-9, also known as the Reaper, is an unmanned aerial vehicle used primarily by US military and intelligence organizations for surveillance and combat operations.
The Houthi rebels did not offer photographs or videos to support the claim as they have in the past, although such material may appear in propaganda images days later.
However, the Houthis have repeatedly shot down General Atomics' MQ-9 Reaper drones in the years since they seized Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014. Such attacks have increased exponentially since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas and the Houthis launched their campaign against shipping. in the Red Sea corridor.
Saree did not offer details on how the rebels shot down the plane. However, Iran has armed the rebels with a surface-to-air missile known as the 358 for years. Iran denies arming the rebels, although Tehran-made weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in sea shipments headed to Yemen despite a United Nations arms embargo.
The Houthis "continue to carry out their jihadist duties in victory for the oppressed Palestinian people and in defense of beloved Yemen," Saree said.
The Reapers, which cost about $30 million each, can fly at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) and have a range of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The planes have been flown by both the US military and the CIA over Yemen for years.
Following the claim, the Houthis' al-Masirah satellite news channel reported multiple US-led airstrikes near the city of Ibb. The US military did not immediately acknowledge the attacks, but the Americans have been heavily attacking Houthi targets since January.
The Houthis have attacked more than 80 merchant ships with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza began in October. They seized one ship and sank two in the campaign that also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to hit their targets, which also included Western military vessels.
The rebels say they attack ships linked to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.
Those attacks include the bombing that hit the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion in the Red Sea. Last week, rescuers abandoned an initial effort to tow the burning tanker, leaving the Sounion stranded and its million barrels of oil at risk of spilling.
