Houthis have shot down seven US reaper drones in past six weeks

Yemen’s Houthis have shot down seven US Reaper drones in about six weeks, a loss of aircraft worth more than $200 million in what is becoming the most dramatic cost to the Pentagon of the military campaign against the Iran-backed rebels. According to defence officials, three of the drones were shot down in the past week, suggesting the Houthis have improved its capabilities in targeting unmanned aircraft flying over the country. The drones were conducting attack runs or surveillance, and they crashed both into the water and onto land, said the officials, who spoke to Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.