Iranian-backed Houthis claim responsibility for US reaper drone crash off Yemen coast
Iranian-backed Houthis rebels have claimed responsibility for a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone crash off the coast of Yemen on Thursday, Fox News confirmed on Friday.
Thursday's crash is the fourth remotely piloted drone brought down by Iranian-proxy groups since November, costing the U.S. government upwards of $120 million.
It is also the third time Houthi rebels have brought down a U.S. MQ-9 drone.
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Last fall, the Houthis released video of a reaper drone the rebels shot down on Nov. 8, one day after Hamas' unprovoked attack on Israel.
The rebels also brought down a second MQ-9 earlier this year, and another Iranian-proxy group brought one down in Iraq in January.
MQ-9 Reapers are primarily used to collect intelligence, but can also be armed with Hellfire missiles. They have a wingspan of 66 feet and cost about $30 million.
Unlike other Iranian-proxy groups, the Houthis continue to launch attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They have launched 131 attacks to date, according to a U.S. defense official.
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On Thursday, Houthis also attacked a ship traveling through the Gulf of Aden, officials said.
The attack came after the U.S. military said early Thursday that an allied warship shot down a Houthi missile targeting a vessel the day before near the same area.
The Houthis also claimed responsibility for Wednesday's assault, which comes after a period of relatively few rebel attacks on shipping in the region over Israel’s ongoing war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Original article source: Iranian-backed Houthis claim responsibility for US reaper drone crash off Yemen coast
