A photo released by Houthi rebels purportedly showing the wreckage of a downed Saudi F-15 fighter jet [AP]
A photo released by Houthi rebels purportedly showing the wreckage of a downed Saudi F-15 fighter jet [AP]

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels claimed Wednesday (local time) that they shot down a Saudi Arabian F-15 fighter jet over the country's northeastern Marib province. Saudi authorities did not immediately comment, and the claim could not be independently verified.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sari said in a statement broadcast on the rebel-affiliated Al Masirah television that the Saudi jet was downed by a domestically produced surface-to-air missile while conducting a military operation in support of Yemeni government forces.

Sari also said Houthi forces fired domestically produced air-defense missiles at two squadrons of Saudi F-15 and Eurofighter Typhoon jets that entered Marib airspace to search for the wreckage of the downed aircraft, forcing them to withdraw.

Saudi authorities did not immediately respond to the Houthi claim, and the reported downing has not been confirmed by international media or other independent sources.

Sari further claimed that Saudi F-15 and Typhoon jets had carried out more than 450 airstrikes across seven Yemeni provinces over the past week, causing civilian casualties, though he did not provide a specific casualty figure.

"We will continue to use all available means to confront violations of Yemen's airspace and sovereignty," he said.

The Houthi rebels later released footage and photographs on their Telegram channel showing what they described as the moment the jet was shot down and images of its wreckage.

The video showed an air-defense missile fired into the night sky striking an airborne object.

Photographs showed men raising rifles in front of the wreckage for a commemorative photo. Saudi markings were visible on the tail section of the downed aircraft.

Sari shrugged off Saudi claims that the Houthis had targeted Mecca, saying their cross-border operations were aimed at Saudi oil facilities and military bases and posed no threat to Islamic holy sites.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia's Civil Defense authority issued an attack threat alert for Mecca — Islam's holiest site — on Wednesday (local time) before lifting it within minutes.

Regarding the incident, the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com