Cairo, May 21 (AP) The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed on Tuesday they shot down an American drone over the country on the Arabian Peninsula.

The US military acknowledged reports but didn't comment.

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If confirmed, it would be the second MQ-9 Reaper drone downed by the Houthis over the past week as they press their campaign over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Last Friday, the Houthis claimed downing an American drone over the province of Marib, hours after footage circulated online of what appeared to be the wreckage of an MQ-9 Reaper.

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Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree said Tuesday the latest drone was shot down with a locally made surface-to-air missile. He did not say when it occurred but alleged the drone “was carrying out hostile missions” over Yemen's southern province of Bayda.

Responding to an Associated Press inquiry, the US military's Central Command acknowledged reports about the downing but declined to comment.

Since Yemen's civil war started in 2014, when the Houthis seized most of the country's north and its capital of Sanaa, the US military has lost at least five drones to the rebels.

Reapers cost around USD 30 million apiece. They can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land.

The Houthis in recent months have stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, demanding that Israel ends the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians there.

The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage.

The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration.

Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat.

The rebels claimed last week that they fired a missile towards a US Navy destroyer in the Red Sea. However, the US military said the warship intercepted the anti-ship ballistic missile. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)