Houthi rebels in Yemen announced Sunday they destroyed a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone after it was detected operating over Marib province.
In a prerecorded video message, the spokesperson for the Islamic Republic-backed militia, Yahya Saree, reported that the remote-controlled aircraft was intercepted by their air defenses because “it was carrying out hostile activities.”
A representative for the U.S. military informed The Associated Press that while the Pentagon is aware of the statement, there have been no reports of missing or damaged inventory in the area.
If the proclamation by the militant group is correct, the incident will be their eighth claim of success in destroying the advanced $30 million reconnaissance system.
Although Saree offered no specifics on how the target was neutralized, past efforts against the MQ-9 have likely involved surface-to-air missiles provided by Tehran.
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