Yemen’s Houthis claimed they had shot down a Saudi F-15 over Marib using a locally made surface-to-air missile
The Saudi-led coalition separately said it had destroyed a Houthi drone near Mecca, without publicly addressing the F-15 claim
The reported exchange comes amid renewed Saudi-Houthi tensions and wider pressure on Saudi security and oil-export infrastructure
Houthis Claim Saudi F-15 Shot Down Over Marib As Coalition Downs Drone Near Mecca
Yemen’s Houthi movement says it shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib, while the Saudi-led coalition says it destroyed a Houthi drone near Mecca amid renewed tensions between the two sides.
Summary
Yemen’s Houthi movement said on Wednesday it had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib province, as Saudi Arabia’s military coalition reported destroying a Houthi drone near Mecca.
The Houthi claim was made by military spokesman Yahya Saree in a post on X, the post said the aircraft was shot down using a locally made surface-to-air missile while it was carrying out what he described as hostile operations in Marib.
Houthis Claim Saudi Airstrikes
Saree also accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out hundreds of airstrikes on Yemen, saying more than 450 strikes had been conducted.
He rejected Saudi accusations that the Houthis had targeted Mecca and said the group’s attacks were directed at oil facilities and military bases.
The claims came as Saudi Arabia’s military coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone near Mecca. The coalition has not publicly commented on the Houthi claim that a Saudi F-15 was downed.
Renewed Saudi-Houthi Tensions
The latest exchange comes amid renewed confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with attacks and counter-attacks increasing regional tensions.
The Houthi movement has expanded its presence along Yemen’s western coastline and around the southern Red Sea, including strategic positions around Bab el-Mandeb.
The developments have raised fresh concerns over maritime and energy routes in the region, particularly as Saudi Arabia has faced separate disruption to its oil-export infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia recently shut its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline as a precaution after attacks that Riyadh attributed to Iraqi militias, according to Saudi authorities. The pipeline is a major route for moving crude towards the Red Sea while bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.
The latest Houthi claim therefore comes as Saudi Arabia faces pressure on both its security interests and key transport routes. Whether the reported loss of an F-15 can be independently established remains unclear.
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