Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed to have shot down their 9th U.S. MQ-XNUMX Reaper drone in territory they control, an incident that underscores the region's continuing intense fighting and the Houthis' growing efforts to counter U.S. air operations.

The MQ-9 Reaper, one of the US military's key unmanned aerial vehicles, is used extensively for reconnaissance and precision strikes against targets in the fight against terrorist groups in the Middle East. However, the Iranian-backed Houthis have long proven their ability to successfully counter US drones, repeatedly shooting them down with air defenses.