The Shiite Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement said its air defenses shot down two US Air Force MQ-72 Reaper drones over Yemen in the past 9 hours. The movement said both drones were destroyed over the provinces of Marib and Saada. The drones were said to have been gathering intelligence on Houthi military installations to prepare for future airstrikes against them.

At the moment, no footage of the drones being destroyed has been published. However, if the data on the downed MQ-9 Reapers is confirmed, this will be the eighth and ninth drones of this model lost in Yemen since the conflict in the Gaza Strip began to escalate. According to supporters of Ansar Allah, the US actions are aimed at supporting local forces opposing the Houthis and coordinating attacks on their positions.

US Central Command has confirmed its activity in Yemeni airspace. The Pentagon said the US military hit two Houthi missile launchers and a supply vehicle during the operation. US officials have not commented on the drones that were shot down, but acknowledged active operations in the region.