Houthis Claim Saudi F-15 Fighter Jet Shot Down Hours After Mecca Drone Interception
The claim follows Saudi reports of intercepting a Houthi drone near Mecca, and neither side has independently verified the fighter jet loss.
- On Wednesday, Houthi forces claimed they shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib using a surface-to-air missile, though Saudi Arabia has not confirmed the loss of the aircraft.
- Separately, the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen reported destroying a Houthi drone on Tuesday near Mecca, with spokesperson Gen. Turki Al-Malki citing the intercept as a defense against threats to holy sites.
- Military spokesperson Yahya Saree alleged Houthi forces engaged Saudi jets searching for wreckage, forcing them to withdraw, and accused Riyadh of carrying out more than 450 airstrikes this week across Yemeni provinces.
- Houthi officials dismissed Saudi allegations of an attempted Mecca strike as "fabrications and lies," insisting Yemen poses no threat to holy sites, while the group frequently reports air defense engagements.
- The incident underscores the ongoing conflict as Houthi advances raise regional stakes, with military activity spanning from Bab al-Mandeb to Iraq.
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Members of the terrorist group Houthi pose with wrecks of Saudi F-15 jet shot down on September 16, 2026. Disclosure/Houthis The Houthis claimed on Wednesday (16) that they shot down a Saudi Arab war jet and released photos of the wreckage of the aircraft. ✅ Follow the international news channel of the g1 in WhatsApp The Yemen group claimed that it shot down an F-15 of the Saudi Air Force that flew over the city of Marib and carried out what it …
The conflict between this pro-Iranian group and the internationally recognized Saudi-backed government intensified in July, in an expansion of the war in the Middle East.
The Houthi movement stressed that with this action it reaffirms that “the skies of Yemen will not be violated”, in reference to the defense of its airspace against foreign incursions.
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