An American MQ-9 Reaper flying near Yemen has been shot down by Houthi militants, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News on Tuesday.
The Houthis said they had targeted the Reaper as well as two American ships in the Gulf of Aden in a statement Monday.
This is their second downing of a Reaper, having shot one down one in international airspace near Yemen in November.
MORE: Unmanned Houthi submarines pose new threat to US warships in Red Sea
The U.S. has designated the Houthis, who are backed by Iran, as a global terrorist organization amid rising regional tensions and a consistent deployment of missiles and drones against each other since war in Gaza broke out.
MORE: US, UK launch large-scale retaliatory strikes against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen
The U.S. conducted what it calls five self-defense strikes Sunday against the Houthis, one of which targeted an unmanned underwater vessel, the first submarine the U.S. says the Houthis have employed since tensions began to flare in October.
The remotely-operated Reaper is charged primarily with intelligence gathering and costs more than $50 million, according to the Air Force.
ABC News’ Anne Flaherty and Will Gretsky contributed to this report.
Houthis shoot down US MQ-9 Reaper drone flying near Yemen originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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