The Pentagon says it has no record of and cannot confirm the loss of a Predator in southern Yemen recently.

French news agency Agence France-Presse reported 7 February that a suspected US aerial vehicle crashed near the town of Loder and was found by local residents who called the police, but al Qaeda gunmen intercepted local authorities made off with the wreckage.

Pentagon officials say while in-theatre operations are not discussed, there have been no recent reports of UAV losses.

The MQ-1 Predator, built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, is used for intelligence gathering by the US Air Force and Central Intelligence Agency. The larger, more capable MQ-9, known as the Reaper, is operated by USAF and the UK Ministry of Defence in Afghanistan.

Source: Flight International

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