U.S. Officials: Houthis Downed an MQ-9 Drone

Two U.S. officials said on Tuesday that Iranian-backed Houthi militants shot down an MQ-9 drone belonging to the U.S. military near Yemen. Earlier, the Houthi rebels stated on Monday that they had downed the drone near the port city of Hodeidah in western Yemen. This is the second time this group has downed an American drone since Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7. One unnamed U.S. official said initial information indicates that the American drone, manufactured by General Atomics, was hit on Monday near Hodeidah. This official noted that the information may change and did not specify whether the drone was in international airspace. A second U.S. official stated that the drone was shot down by a Houthi surface-to-air missile fired from near Hodeidah. The MQ-9 Reaper is a key component of the U.S. military's aerial reconnaissance fleet. The Houthis had previously downed another MQ-9 drone in November and two more in 2019. On Tuesday, the Houthi militants also claimed to have targeted an Israeli cargo ship named 'MSC Silvor' in the Gulf of Aden, near the Red Sea, with several missiles. A Houthi army spokesperson did not provide further details but stated that the group also used unmanned vehicles to target several U.S. warships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, as well as locations in the resort city of Eilat in southern Israel. Meanwhile, the French army announced on Tuesday that it had shot down two Houthi drones in the Red Sea. The United States also announced on Saturday that it had attacked five military targets of the Houthis, including an unmanned underwater vehicle in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. The Houthi actions against commercial ships, which have caused insecurity in maritime trade in the Red Sea, have faced military responses from the U.S. and some of its allies. Some experts say that the Houthi attacks on commercial ships are carried out with the intelligence and military support of the Islamic Republic and at its request. On Monday, the Houthis also attacked a cargo ship carrying corn for Iran. An American military official at that time stated, without providing details, that the ship likely had not been hit by projectiles. The European Union has begun a mission to protect shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthi attack on a cargo ship; 'Rubimar' may 'sink.'