The Houthi Ansarullah movement-backed Yemeni military has successfully downed a US $30 million MQ-9 Reaper spy drone over Marib province using indigenous missile technology, Yemen's state news agency Saba reported.

According to the military's statement on Friday, Yemeni air defense forces targeted and destroyed the drone on Thursday night with a surface-to-air missile. The drone was reportedly conducting hostile activities in the airspace of Marib province, approximately 120 kilometers east of Yemen’s capital, Sana'a.

The statement emphasized the Yemeni military's readiness to counter all enemy plots, asserting that this latest incident marks the fourth downed drone of its kind by their forces, valuing each at $30 million.

This event follows a significant escalation in the region since October 7th, when the Hamas government in Gaza launched a large-scale military operation against Israel, resulting in Israel's massive retaliatory strikes on Gaza. Over 40,000 Palestinians, primarily women and children, have been reported killed, with more than 70,000 injured.

In response to Israel's actions, Yemen's Houthi rebels have declared their intent to target Israeli and allied ships in the Red Sea, extending their offensive to US and Western vessels and drones in the area.