Yemen's Houthi rebels said early Sunday they shot down another American-made MQ-9 drone flying over the country, marking potentially the latest downing of the multimillion-dollar surveillance aircraft. The US responded with airstrikes over Houthi-controlled territory, the rebels said.

The US military told The Associated Press it was aware of the claim but has “received no reports” of American military drones being downed over Yemen.

However, the Houthis have repeatedly downed General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones since seizing Sanaa in 2014. Attacks have surged with the start of Israel's Gaza war and the Houthis' campaign against Israel-linked shipping in the Red Sea -- in solidarity with Palestinians.

Houthi military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree made the announcement in a prerecorded video message. He said the Houthis shot down the drone over Yemen's Marib province, a long-contested area home to key oil and gas fields that's been held by allies of a Saudi-led coalition battling the rebels since 2015.

Saree offered no details on how the rebels downed the aircraft. However, Iran has armed the rebels with a surface-to-air missile known as the 358 for years. Iran denies arming the rebels, though Tehran-manufactured weaponry has been found on the battlefield and in seaborne shipments heading to Yemen despite a United Nations arms embargo.

The Houthis “continue to perform their jihadist duties in victory for the oppressed Palestinian people and in defence of dear Yemen,” Saree said.

Reapers, which cost around $30 million apiece, can fly at altitudes up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) and have an endurance of up to 24 hours before needing to land. The aircraft have been flown by both the US military and the CIA over Yemen for years.

After the announcement, the Houthis' al-Masirah satellite news channel reported multiple US-led airstrikes near the city of Ibb. The US military did not immediately acknowledge the strikes, but the Americans have been striking Houthi targets intensely since January.

The Houthis have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israeli war on Gaza started in October.

They seized one vessel and sank two in the campaign that has also killed four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a US-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, which have included Western military vessels as well.

The rebels maintain that they target ships linked to Israel, the US or the UK to force an end to Israel’s assault on Gaza. Those attacks include the barrage that struck the Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion in the Red Sea.

Salvagers last week abandoned an initial effort to tow away the burning oil tanker, leaving the Sounion stranded and its 1 million barrels of oil at risk of spilling.