Aden, Ma’rib-Yemeni security forces seized a commercial truck carrying spy drones on its way to the Houthi rebels, according to a Yemeni military official.

The truck was caught in the province of Ma’rib, which is largely under the influence of the Yemeni government, with Houthi presence remaining in pockets of the province.

Before it was caught, the truck was on its way to the Houthi held capital city of Yemen, Sana’a.

The drones were reportedly hidden beneath the truck that was carrying car parts and electricity motors, according to Colonel Nasser al-Tariq.

The rebels “use drones to spy on national army positions and opposition forces on the battlefield,” he said.

The latest development comes just a week after a report released by a UK-based independent research group suggested an arms pipeline running from Iran, through Somalia and Yemen, is arming Houthi rebels.

Conflict Armament Research (CAR) suggested in the newly-released report that a significant number of Iranian arms are being transferred to Yemen using dhows.

Moreover, Yemeni military forces in Ma’rib announced on Monday that they found a network of mines and improvised explosive devices in the form of stones planted by Houthi and Saleh militias in areas that connect Ma’rib with al-Bayda’ east Yemen.

Moreover, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that security forces in Ma’rib have busted a terrorist cell composed of four people trying to plant explosives in the center where soldiers receive their salaries.

Sources did not give further information about the cell members or the investigation process.

In the south of the country, Yemeni police forces defused on Monday an explosive-laden car that was found parked in a residential neighborhood in Aden province.

Residents of the neighborhood of Mu’alla reported to security agencies in Aden that they found a booby-trapped car, according to a senior official.

Police bomb disposal technicians arrived at the scene and defused the explosives after moving the booby-trapped vehicle to a safe place.

The incident comes two days after a suicide bomber of the Yemen-based affiliate of the ISIS group struck an army base near Aden’s international airport, leaving 50 pro-government soldiers dead and more than 40 others injured.

The ISIS suicide bomber disguised with military uniform blew himself up as hundreds of soldiers gathered to receive their delayed monthly salaries, according to local sources.

The southern port city of Aden is the headquarters of Yemen’s internationally-backed President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi and his government.