Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Shoot Down American Reaper Drone Off the Arabian Peninsula

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen shot down an American drone over international waters off the Arabian peninsula on Wednesday, another indication that the conflict in Israel may be dragging America into a broader military conflict in the region.The rebels’ military arm posted a note and video of the incident on social media, and an American military official confirmed the incident to the Associated Press. The US MQ-9 Reaper drone, a $32 million surveillance aircraft, was most likely shot down with an SA-6 missile, the official said.The Houthis claim to have fired at least four batches of drones and missiles toward southern Israel since October 7. The group controls Yemen’s capital and much of northern and western Yemen where the majority of the country’s population lives.Iranian proxies in the Middle East are escalating their attacks on American troops in the region and have now struck bases in Syria and Iraq at least 41 times since the war in Israel began October 7, injuring 46 service men and women.Pentagon officials have described the attacks as “harassment,” and said they consist primarily of drone and missile attacks. Most have either failed to reach targets or been intercepted by American forces, they said.Two dozen service members suffered traumatic brain injuries, with two soldiers undergoing medical evacuation at the U.S. Army Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany for further treatment “out of an abundance of caution,” the Pentagon said.The attacks on the al Asad base in Iraq and the al Tanf garrison in Syria between October 17 and October 18 have resulted in the majority of the casualties. Twenty service members were injured as a result of the attacks on the al Asad base and 13 were injured during the attacks on al Tanf. As the attacks against American troops have ramped up, the military has begun deploying additional naval assets to the region. On Sunday, an Ohio-class submarine arrived within the Central Command’s area of responsibility, according to the Command group. The Central Command’s area of responsibility covers the Middle East.In addition to the submarine, two carrier strike groups, the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, were previously moved into the area with an expressed goal of deterring the attacks. They were joined by the U.S. 6th fleet flagship Mount Whitney and two Italian frigates, the Virginio Fasan and the Carlo Margottini.Their mission included “high-value unit defense, ballistic missile defense, replenishments-at-sea, cross-deck flight operations and maritime security operations,” the Navy Times reported. Some of those assets were likely used for a series of strikes against targets in eastern Syria near the border with Iraq late Wednesday.

Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Shoot Down American Reaper Drone Off the Arabian Peninsula

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