Yemeni air defenses successfully shot down Thursday evening an American MQ-9 drone while it was conducting hostile activities in the airspace of Marib Governorate, the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) announced.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree confirmed on Friday that the drone was targeted with a locally-made surface-to-air missile, adding that footage of the shootdown will be released later.

According to Saree, this is the fourth aircraft that the Yemeni air defenses have shot down since the start of the operations in support of Gaza.

The spokesperson affirmed the Yemeni Armed Forces' vigilance and full readiness on all levels, vowing that all enemy attempts are doomed to fail.

Users on social media have circulated a video of an MQ-9 drone reportedly shot down in Marib by the Yemeni Armed Forces.

#شاهد.. فيديو متداول لحطام طائرة أميركية دون طيار من طراز "MQ-9" تم إسقاطها في محافظة #مأرب شرق اليمن من قبل القوات المسلّحة اليمنية.#الميادين #اليمن pic.twitter.com/wAtPvpX0aq

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) May 17, 2024

On Wednesday, Saree announced an operation carried out by the Naval Forces targeting the American USS Mason destroyer in the Red Sea with a number of anti-ship missiles.

The Brigadier General also mentioned that the Yemeni navy and missile forces conducted a joint operation against the Destiny ship in the Red Sea, confirming a direct hit, after it had violated the ban placed on Israeli or Israeli-bound ships on April 20.

The announcement comes after Saree affirmed on Monday the commencement of the fourth phase of the escalation against the Israeli occupation, indicating that significant operations as part of the phase are forthcoming.

Read more: Yemen to expand naval operations beyond Mediterranean, al-Houthi says