F-15 fighter jet and drone shot down by Houthis in Yemen, claim Iran-backed rebels also say Saudi Arabia carried out 40 airstrikes

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed they shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib province, releasing footage that allegedly shows a missile striking the aircraft followed by images of what the group said was its wreckage at a desert crash site.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the aircraft was targeted while carrying out what the group described as “hostile operations”. He claimed the fighter was hit using a “locally made air-to-air missile”, according to Euronews.

The footage shows what the Houthis describe as a missile intercepting a fighter jet before cutting to a site where armed Houthi fighters are seen around the alleged wreckage. One component appears to display the Saudi flag, while another large section of the aircraft is shown with fighters standing nearby.


The claim has not been independently verified, and Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the loss of an F-15 or provided an immediate response to the allegation. The Houthis also did not specify when the alleged shootdown occurred.

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Houthi claim comes amid wider escalation

Saree accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out more than 450 strikes against Houthi positions during the week with 40 in the past 24 hours. The group has released the footage amid a broader escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.

In a separate statement carried by Houthi-run Al Masirah TV, military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said the group had also shot down a Saudi armed reconnaissance drone over Marib. He claimed the drone was conducting what the group called hostile operations and said it was brought down using an “appropriate weapon”.


Sarea further claimed that Houthi forces had intercepted two formations of Saudi F-15 fighter jets at about 6:40 p.m. local time. According to the statement, the aircraft had taken off from Khamis Mushait air base in southwestern Saudi Arabia and entered airspace over Mocha in Yemen’s western Taiz province.

Saudi Arabia faces security concerns near Mecca

The alleged F-15 shootdown came as Saudi Arabia faced heightened security concerns over possible Houthi attacks near Mecca.

Saudi authorities earlier said their air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it could enter the holy city’s restricted airspace. The alert followed an emergency warning issued on Tuesday amid escalating attacks in the region.

The Houthis denied targeting Mecca. Saree said the group’s operations were directed at Saudi oil facilities and military bases located away from the sacred sites, while accusing Saudi authorities of spreading “fabrications and lies”.

The Saudi-led coalition, meanwhile, warned that the security of the holy sites remained a “red line”.

“The security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line,” coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said in a statement shared on X, adding that the Joint Forces Command would take what it described as necessary and deterrent measures against the Houthis.

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Saudi oil infrastructure also faces pressure

Saudi Arabia is also facing pressure over the security of its oil infrastructure and crude export routes as attacks in the region intensify.

Two pumping stations along the country’s East-West Pipeline were damaged in an attack last week, according to three oil and security sources cited in the supplied report. The 1,200-km pipeline, operated by Saudi Aramco, provides an alternative route for crude exports by allowing the kingdom to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

Saudi officials said the pipeline was temporarily shut following a drone attack launched from Iraq.

For now, the alleged loss of the Saudi F-15 remains unconfirmed. There has been no independent confirmation of the aircraft’s identity, the circumstances surrounding the reported interception or the timing of the alleged incident.