In another incident linked to the Israel-Hamas escalation, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have said that they shot down an American drone, AFP reports.

“Our air defences were able to down an American MQ-9 while it was carrying out hostile surveillance and espionage activities in Yemeni territorial waters as part of American military support” for Israel, the rebels said in a statement.

Senior officials from the United States — which rushed military support to Israel and also bolstered American forces in the region after the October 7 attack — have confirmed that one of the country’s drones was downed.

The Houthis are opposed to government forces in Yemen and are also part of the “axis of resistance” of groups arrayed against Israel. They have claimed responsibility for multiple drone and missile attacks against Israel during its fight with Hamas, and the US Navy intercepted missiles fired by the rebels last month.

There are roughly 2,500 American troops in Iraq and some 900 in Syria as part of efforts to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group.