Yemen's Houthi rebels reportedly shot down an American drone in the early hours of Friday, marking a potential escalation in their attacks on the Red Sea corridor. Videos circulating online showed what appeared to be a flaming aircraft falling from the sky and a field of burning debris in Yemen's al-Jawf province. The U.S. military confirmed the incident and stated that they were investigating further.
The type of aircraft shot down was not immediately clear from the low-quality night video. The Houthis possess surface-to-air missiles capable of downing aircraft, including the Iranian missile known as the 358. Despite Iran's denial of arming the rebels, Iranian-manufactured weaponry has been discovered on the battlefield and in seaborne shipments destined for the Shiite Houthi rebels, in violation of a United Nations arms embargo.
