KONTAN.CO.ID - JAKARTA. The United States' advanced unmanned combat aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) the MQ-9 Reaper, has once again been shot down by Yemen's Houthi fighters.

Yemeni authorities have confirmed that their Armed Forces successfully downed the American-made MQ-9 in the Arab nation.

IRNA news agency, quoting Al Masirah TV, the primary television news agency run by the Yemeni resistance movement Ansrarullah, reported on Saturday morning that the country's Air Defense had successfully downed the American-made MQ-9 in Sa'adah Province. 

Baca Juga: Drone Canggih AS MQ-9 Reaper Seharga Setengah Triliun, Ditembak Jatuh Houthi Yaman

In another incident, quoting Reuters, Ansrarullah stated on Saturday that their missile had struck the oil tanker Andromeda Star in the Red Sea.

Yahya Saree, a spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, referred to by the West and America as Yemen's Houthi fighters, stated in a declaration that this series of operations was carried out to support the Palestinian people oppressed by Israeli colonization.

He mentioned the Zionist Regime's brutal war in besieged Gaza since October 7 of last year, following an unprecedented operation by the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, against the occupying entity in retaliation for the increasingly intense atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Baca Juga: Hizbullah Melancarkan Serangan ke Wilayah Terdalam Israel Sejak Perang Gaza

The Israeli Regime has imposed a total siege on the densely populated area in Gaza, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, and water for more than two million Palestinian residents there.

Israel has not only failed to make the Palestinian resistance kneel on the battlefield, but it has also suffered a strategic defeat amid international outrage over the genocidal war in Gaza.

Meanwhile, CBS News confirmed that a US Air Force MQ-9 drone had fallen in Yemen on Friday morning. Quoting a US military official, who updated previous information indicating that the drone had fallen offshore. 

Baca Juga: Ini Ancaman Iran ke Israel Jika Melancarkan Serangan ke Negaranya

An investigation into the incident is currently being conducted by the US Military. According to the official, no injuries have been reported.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels took responsibility for shooting down the unmanned aircraft on Friday.

The Houthis have shot down two other MQ-9s - both offshore of Yemen - since November, the first in early November 2023 and another in February 2024. 

For context, each drone unit costs about $30 million, according to the Congressional Research Service. This means the price of each drone is equivalent to Rp 487.2 billion per unit, resulting in a loss for the US of Rp 1.46 trillion.

The drones flying offshore and over Yemen are part of the US military's efforts to help defend commercial and military ships from ongoing Houthi attacks.

Editor: Syamsul Azhar