American drone type MQ-9 Reaper “shot down” in Yemenan official of the Ministry of Defense announced yesterday Monday USAspeaking of an action joining the broader “malicious behavior” of the Houthi rebels, a movement considered close to Iran.

This was the second time in September that Washington confirmed the loss of a drone of the type, which is used for intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as for attacks.

“An MQ-9 was downed,” a US Defense Department official said, calling it “the latest example of the malicious and reckless behavior of Iran’s backers.” Houthiwhich threaten regional security”.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sharia said earlier that the rebels shot down an MQ-9 that was “engaging in hostile actions in the airspace of Saada province” (northwest).

The Pentagon had already confirmed in mid-September that another MQ-9 Reaper had crashed in Yemen.

The Houthis, who control most of northern Yemen, have been launching attacks since November against ships they say are linked to Israel or its allies, above all the US and Britain, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Their attacks have caused a huge problem for navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, a sea area crucial for global trade, prompting the US to form an international naval coalition late last year to counter them and since January to launch air strikes strikes against Houthi positions or weapons systems in Yemen, in some cases with Britain.

The Houthis often claim to shoot down coalition drones.