Yemen's Houthi rebels claim to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet
Quick Look
- Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed to have shot down a Saudi Arabian F-15 fighter jet over Marib province.
- The Houthis released related videos and photos, but Saudi authorities did not immediately announce their position, and the fact that it was shot down was not officially confirmed.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Houthi rebels have been engaged in a prolonged battle with the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemeni government forces. Saudi Arabia is wary of the Houthis' threat of an attack on Mecca.
(Cairo = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Sang-hoon = Yemen's pro-Iran rebels Houthis claimed on the 16th (local time) that they shot down a Saudi Arabian F-15 fighter jet over the northeastern Yemen's Marib province.
Yahya Sari, military spokesman for the Houthi rebels, said in a statement released through Al Masirah, a Houthi media outlet, that the Saudi fighter jet was shot down by a surface-to-air missile they produced while carrying out a hostile operation to help Yemeni government forces.
He added that Houthi-produced air defense missiles were also fired at two squadrons of Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets that entered Marib airspace to search for the remains of the downed fighter jet, forcing them to retreat.
Saudi authorities did not immediately take a position on the Houthi rebels' claims, and the fact that the fighter jet was shot down has not yet been confirmed by foreign media.
Spokesperson Sari also claimed that Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets carried out more than 450 airstrikes across seven Yemeni provinces over the past week, causing civilian casualties. However, the specific number of casualties was not disclosed.
He emphasized, “We will continue to mobilize all available means to combat violations of Yemen’s airspace and sovereignty.”
The Houthi rebels later released videos and photos showing the downed fighter jet and its wreckage through their own Telegram channel.
The released video shows an air defense missile launched into the night sky colliding with an aircraft in the air.
A photo released together shows men holding rifles in front of the wreckage of a crashed fighter jet taking a commemorative photo. The remains of the tail of the crashed fighter jet bear Saudi markings.
Sari dismissed Saudi claims that the Houthis were trying to target Mecca, saying they posed no risk to Islam's holiest sites and that their cross-border operations were targeting Saudi oil facilities and military bases.
Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense Department had previously issued an attack threat warning to Mecca, Islam's holiest site, the day before, but lifted it a few minutes later.
In this regard, the Saudi-led coalition announced that it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi rebel drone south of Mecca.
Open Questions
- Whether Saudi Arabia officially acknowledges the downing of the fighter jet
- Is the crashed fighter pilot alive or dead?
