Recent news revealed reports that a US MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed near Hodeidah in Yemen early Monday morning, indicating that it may have been shot down by a Houthi surface-to-air missile. , a US official said on Tuesday. Previous reports had indicated that it was uncertain whether the drone was shot down or simply crashed. A spokesperson for Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels said in a statement posted to X on Monday that the MQ-9 was shot down “with a suitable missile.”
This situation is currently under investigation. The Houthi had already shot down another MQ-9 in November off the Yemeni coast.
This event comes as rebel attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea increase, and as the United States strikes its capabilities in Yemen with increasing frequency. On Monday, the Houthi launched a series of missiles and drones toward U.S. and coalition merchant ships and warships over the course of several hours. Twice they attacked U.S.-owned commercial ships, according to a U.S. official.
Anti-ship missiles were launched towards the M/V Sea Champion, a US-owned Greek-flagged grain carrier, in the Gulf of Aden. The M/V Navis Fortuna, a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, was also hit by a one-way attack drone. Fortunately, the attacks did not cause any serious injuries.
The Houthi spokesperson said in the evening that the attacks targeted two American ships “with a number of appropriate naval missiles” in support of the Palestinian people and in response to “American-British aggression against Yemen”.
The State Department condemned the attacks, stressing that they interfered with the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni population. Two further missiles were launched towards the M/V Rubymar, a UK-owned ship, causing material damage.
The United States responded by destroying the surface-to-air missile launcher, as well as several unidirectional attack drones. Defensive strikes were also carried out, including against anti-ship cruise missiles.
Houthi use of an unmanned underwater vehicle was first observed during these attacks. US and British actions have increased in recent weeks, targeting rebel storage facilities, launch systems and command nodes.
The escalation of tensions in the region raises serious concerns about maritime security and regional stability. The repercussions of these incidents remain to be closely monitored as the situation evolves.