Isreal-Hamas War : ₦14Billion U.S MQ-9 Reaper Drone Shot Down By Iranian-backed Houthi Militants

Isreal-Hamas War : A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone worth ₦14 billion shot down by Iranian-backed Houthi militants.

Houthi said its air defenses shot down the American drone while carrying out spying activities in Yemeni airspace.

Near-silent MQ-9 Reaper is designed to attack time-sensitive targets with persistence and precision as well as to destroy targets.

Amid ongoing military operations in the Gaza Strip by Israel, a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone was reportedly shot down in the airspace of Yemeni territorial waters last week by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen.

“We can confirm that a U.S. military MQ-9 remotely-piloted aircraft was shot down while in international airspace over international waters off the coast of Yemen,” a senior U.S. defense official said.

Reacting to the incident, the Houthis said the intruding US-operated MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down by its air defenses in Yemeni airspace.

“Our air defenses were able to shoot down an American MQ9 aircraft while it was carrying out hostile, monitoring and spying activities in the airspace of Yemeni territorial waters.”

“The Yemeni Armed Forces affirm their legitimate right to defend the country and confront all hostile threats,” a statement posted to the Houthi’s X page (formerly Twitter) claimed.

It added that :

“Hostile movements will not deter the Yemeni armed forces from continuing to carry out military operations against the Israeli entity in support of the oppression of the Palestinian people.”

The near-silent MQ-9 Reaper Drone, worth about $16.9 million (about ₦13.5 billion), is designed to attack time-sensitive targets with persistence and precision as well as to destroy or disable those targets.

But this isn’t the first time the US MQ-9 Reaper will be shot down by Houthi forces. One of these drone was shot down over Yemen in June 6, while another Reaper was shot down in August 2019.

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