The Houthis have claimed to have shot down a United States military drone over Yemen, in the latest attack by the group, which has disrupted shipping trade through the crucial Bab al-Mandeb Strait, drawing US strikes.

The Yemeni group has carried out dozens of attacks on ships with links to Israel in a show of solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s 11-month-old war on Gaza.

Yahya Saree, the military spokesman of the Houthi group, said in a prerecorded video message released early on Sunday that the MQ-9 Reaper was shot down by air defences over Marib as “it was carrying out hostile activities”.

This is the eighth drone of this type to be shot down since the start of the war on Gaza, he said. The group has not so far released footage of the downed attack and surveillance aircraft that costs about $30m.

The advanced drones, which can fly at altitudes up to 15,240 metres (50,000 feet) and for up to 24 hours, have been flown by US military and intelligence forces over Yemen for years. That includes during years of civil war that broke out after the Houthis rebelled against the government in late 2014. The fighting has largely ended after a UN-brokered ceasefire in December 2023.

Houthi forces will continue to mount attacks in support of Palestinians and “are in the process of strengthening defensive capabilities” to confront continuing  joint air strikes by the US and United Kingdom on Yemen, according to Saree.

US strikes in Yemen?

After the video was released, the Houthi-run Al Masirah satellite news channel reported multiple US-led strikes near the city of Ibb south of capital Sanaa.

The US military did not immediately respond to either claim of air strikes or the shooting down of the its drone over Yemen.

The latest attacks on Yemen claimed by the US military came on Friday, when its forces said they destroyed a Houthi-launched drone and a “support vehicle”.

Last week, the US military said the Houthis attacked two crude oil tankers, including the Saudi-flagged Amjad and the Panama-flagged Blue Lagoon in the Red Sea, calling them “reckless acts of terrorism”.

The Houthi military claimed responsibility for targeting the Blue Lagoon with multiple missiles and drones but did not make any mention of the Saudi tanker.

The Amjad was carrying about two million barrels of oil, according to the US military, which did not report any casualties.

In late August, the Houthis released footage of fighters boarding the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion, and detonating explosives on the ship, which has prompted concerns of an environmental disaster.

The Yemeni group, which landed an explosive-laden drone in Tel Aviv in July killing one person, have said their attacks will only stop when Israel’s killings in Gaza cease.

More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its devastating war on October 7.