A U.S.-made MQ-9 Reaper drone crashed in Yemen's oil-rich northeastern province of Marib on Friday after being shot down, a Yemeni military official told Xinhua.

Axar.az reports that the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the drone was brought down northwest of Marib while operating in the area's airspace.

The source suggested that the shootdown was carried out by the Houthi group, saying the incident followed a similar MQ-9 downing in Marib less than two weeks earlier.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. side or the Houthi group.

The MQ-9 Reaper drone is a remotely piloted aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It can also deliver precision strikes.

In recent months, the Houthi group has announced the downing of several U.S. MQ-9 drones in various Yemeni provinces under its control.

The group has said the shootings were conducted in response to what it described as U.S. and British military actions against Yemen.