On August 4, local sources claimed that an American MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down over Saada province in Yemen. These sources even published photos on the social network X [formerly Twitter], allegedly showing the remnants and debris of the downed MQ-9.
However, BulgarianMilitary.com cannot independently verify these claims, and there has been no official confirmation from U.S. authorities yet.
If confirmed, this would mark the eighth MQ-9 Reaper drone downed since October last year, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. It would also be the second such incident within the same Yemeni province.
The first of these eight drones was reportedly downed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on November 8, 2023, over the Red Sea during a period of attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria. Later, on January 18, 2024, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq claimed responsibility for shooting down another MQ-9 Reaper drone, which had allegedly taken off from Kuwait, near Muqdadiya, Diyala province.
On February 19, 2024, Houthi rebels shot down a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 over Al Hudeida, amid ongoing attacks on American bases in Iraq and Syria. A similar incident occurred on April 25, 2024, when another MQ-9 was downed over Saada province.By May 17, 2024, Yemen’s Houthi group claimed responsibility for shooting down an “American MQ-9 spy drone” in Yemen’s central Marib province.
Just a week later, on May 24, 2024, the group reported downing another MQ-9 over Sana’a. On May 29, 2024, an American MQ-9 crashed in Yemen under undisclosed circumstances.
Source: Bulgarian Military