09 November 2023
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone near the Yemeni coast on Wednesday, and are reportedly attempting to recover any debris from where the UAV crashed in the Red Sea.
"We know there was an attempt by Houthis to recover the MQ-9, but it is unlikely they will be able to retrieve anything of significance," said Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. "We are not looking to recover the downed drone ourselves."
Tensions in the area continue to rise as Israel and Hamas show few signs of ending the conflict in the Gaza Strip. The situation has Washington on military alert, and, as a result, the United States has deployed aircraft carriers, support ships, and even Marines to the area.
In fact, the U.S. has been launching strikes against a complex in eastern Syria that was allegedly being used as a weapons storage facility by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. These actions were a response to attacks against American forces in Iraq and Syria.
"While we are seeing an uptick in attacks, our purpose is to ensure that this conflict doesn't widen out beyond Israel," added Singh.
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