Houthis claim Saudi F-15 fighter jet shot down in Yemen

Houthis claim Saudi F-15 fighter jet shot down in Yemen

Yemen’s Houthi forces on Wednesday claimed that they had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib province, escalating tensions between the Iran-aligned group and Saudi Arabia amid renewed fighting in Yemen.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group targeted the Saudi aircraft near Jabal Hailan in Marib while it was conducting what he described as hostile operations in support of Saudi military deployments in the area. According to the spokesman, Houthi forces used a locally developed surface-to-air missile to bring down the fighter jet.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah’s aid and grace, succeeded in shooting down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet,” Saree said, according to reports carried by international media. He claimed the aircraft was operating in Marib’s airspace as part of Saudi military activities against Houthi forces.

The Houthis did not immediately provide independent evidence, such as video footage of the aircraft wreckage or details about the fate of its pilot, to substantiate the claim. Saudi authorities have also not confirmed that an F-15 was lost.

The claim comes amid a sharp increase in military activity between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces in Yemen. The Houthis have reported a series of Saudi-led airstrikes against positions in several Yemeni provinces, including Marib, Taiz, Lahj, Al-Jawf and Hodeidah. Earlier this week, the group claimed that Saudi aircraft had carried out dozens of strikes in Yemen.

The reported F-15 incident also follows a separate escalation involving Saudi airspace. On Tuesday evening, Saudi Arabia said its air-defence forces intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Makkah before it could enter the restricted airspace over the holy city. Saudi coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said the interception took place at around 6:50 p.m. local time.

Saudi officials described the drone incident as the second reported attempt to target Makkah, referring to a 2017 ballistic missile incident. The Houthis, however, have denied targeting Makkah or Islamic holy sites.

The latest developments point to a further deterioration in the security situation around Yemen and Saudi Arabia, where cross-border attacks and air operations have intensified in recent days. The renewed fighting comes after years of relative calm following a 2022 ceasefire, with the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces again engaging in increasingly frequent military operations.

For now, the reported downing of the Saudi F-15 remains a Houthi claim and has not been independently verified. No immediate confirmation or detailed response from Saudi authorities or the Saudi-led coalition regarding the alleged loss of the fighter jet had been reported.