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Houthis target US drone in Saada airspace.. Washington confirms its downing
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Repeated incidents of US drone downings raise questions about the effectiveness of US strategy in the region, pushing towards a reassessment of tactics used in facing Houthi threats
An official US source stated on Monday that an American MQ-9 Reaper drone had been "shot down", after Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen confirmed they had managed to down an unmanned aircraft.
This incident marks the second time this month that a US official has confirmed the loss of one of the drones used for reconnaissance missions and military strikes.
A US Department of Defense (Pentagon) official clarified: "An MQ-9 drone was shot down," without providing further details, but indicated that the Houthis were responsible for this action. He added, "This is the latest example of malicious and reckless behavior by the Iran-backed Houthis that threatens regional stability."
Earlier, the Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced that "Yemeni armed forces shot down an American MQ-9 drone while it was carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Saada governorate in northern Yemen."
The Pentagon had previously announced earlier this month the fall and crash of a drone of the same type near Yemen. In February, it reported that another drone went down off the coast of Yemen after apparently being hit by a Houthi missile.
Since November, the Houthis, who oppose government forces in Yemen, have begun launching attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, claiming to "support Gaza," and asserting that they are targeting ships linked to Israel.
These developments raise fears of escalating tensions in the region, as ongoing Houthi attacks threaten maritime navigation security and put increasing pressure on the international community to intervene.
The repeated incidents of US drone downings also raise questions about the effectiveness of the US strategy in the region, which may push towards a reassessment of tactics used in confronting Houthi threats.
Levant-Agencies
