Yemen’s Houthi militant group said it shot down an American MQ-9 Reaper combat drone and released videos showing parts of the drone.
The Houthis claim to have shot down the drone with a surface-to-air missile, part of a new series of rebel attacks this week, following a relative lull in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to The Times of Israel.
Officials at the Pentagon, US Central Command and the US Air Force have not commented on the militants’ statement, but CBS News cited an unnamed US official as confirming that the drone had crashed in Yemen.
A video released by the Houthis includes a missile being launched at a drone, and in the background a man can be heard reciting the group’s slogan after the aircraft was hit: “God is the greatest, death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, victory to Islam.”
The video also shows several major parts of the drone, including the logo of General Atomics, which manufactures the aircraft, as well as the serial number.
