DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Houthi rebels reported that suspected U.S. airstrikes near Yemen’s capital, which they control, resulted in at least six fatalities and 26 injuries overnight on Monday. They also claimed to have downed another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone.

According to casualty statistics released by the Houthi Health Ministry on Monday, the intensive U.S. airstrike campaign, initiated nearly a month ago under President Donald Trump in response to rebel attacks on shipping in Mideast waters related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, has resulted in casualties.

Footage broadcast by the Houthis’ al-Masirah satellite news channel showed firefighters attempting to extinguish a large fire allegedly caused by the airstrikes. Debris was scattered across a street as rescuers evacuated a person from the site, which the rebels identified as a ceramics factory in the Bani Matar area of Sanaa.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the region, has not confirmed the strikes, continuing a pattern it has maintained since the campaign began on March 15.

The U.S. military has also refrained from providing details on the targets hit. The White House has stated that over 200 strikes have been carried out thus far.

Houthis claim another American drone shot down

Separately, the Houthis claimed on Sunday night to have shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen’s Hajjah governorate, located in the northwest of the country on the Red Sea border with Saudi Arabia.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, said in a pre-recorded video that this was the fourth drone downed by the rebels in two weeks. Saree stated that the drone was targeted with “a locally manufactured missile.” The Houthis possess surface-to-air missiles, including the Iranian-designed 358, capable of bringing down aircraft.

Iran denies providing weapons to the rebels, despite evidence suggesting their involvement and the interception of sea shipments en route to Yemen for the Houthi rebels, in violation of a United Nations arms embargo.

General Atomics Reapers, valued at approximately $30 million each, can operate at altitudes exceeding 40,000 feet (12,100 meters) and remain airborne for over 30 hours. They have been used extensively by the U.S. military and the CIA over Afghanistan, Iraq.

Central Command acknowledged awareness of “reports” regarding the drone being shot down but offered no further details.

U.S. strikes come as part of monthlong intense campaign

Reports indicate that the new U.S. operation against the Houthis under President Donald Trump appears more aggressive than that under former President Joe Biden, with Washington shifting from targeting only launch sites to striking high-ranking individuals and bombing cities.

The recent airstrike campaign began after the rebels resumed attacks, citing Israel’s obstruction of aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels have broadly defined what constitutes an Israeli ship, potentially encompassing numerous vessels.

The Houthis targeted more than 100 commercial ships with missiles and drones between November 2023 and January of this year. They also launched unsuccessful attacks against American warships.

The U.S. campaign shows no sign of ceasing, with the Trump administration linking its airstrikes on the Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran regarding its nuclear program.

“What we’re doing with the Houthis and what we’re doing in the region, we’ve shown a capability to go far, to go deep and to go big,” U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Sunday on Fox News. “We don’t want to do that. But if we have to, we will to prevent a nuclear bomb in Iran’s hands.”

Hegseth added: “We know Iran … is taking a look at what’s happening to the Houthis and realizing they don’t want any part of it.”

“`