Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim shooting down another US MQ-9 Predator drone VIDEO

Yemen’s Houthi rebels on May 17 claimed to have shot down an American drone, hours after footage circulated online of what appeared to be the wreckage of an MQ-9 Predator drone.

The US military did not immediately acknowledge the incident.

If confirmed, this would be yet another Predator downed by the Houthis as they press their campaign over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed, according to Al Mayadeen, that rebels shot down the Predator on Thursday with a surface-to-air missile, promising to later release footage of the attack. He described the drone as “carrying out hostile actions” in Yemen’s Marib province, which remains held by allies of Yemen’s exiled, internationally recognized government.

#شاهد.. فيديو متداول لحطام طائرة أميركية دون طيار من طراز "MQ-9" تم إسقاطها في محافظة #مأرب شرق اليمن من قبل القوات المسلّحة اليمنية.#الميادين #اليمن pic.twitter.com/wAtPvpX0aq

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) May 17, 2024

Online video showed wreckage resembling the pieces of the Predator, as well as footage of that wreckage on fire.

The US military did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press over the Houthi claim. While the rebels have made claims about attacks that turned out later not to be true, they have a history of shooting down US drones and have been armed by their main benefactor, Iran, with weapons capable of high-altitude attack.