Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed on Wednesday that it shot down a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 over Marib governorate using a locally made surface-to-air missile. The allegation came as Saudi Arabia separately reported intercepting a Houthi drone south of Mecca, intensifying a politically charged confrontation in the air war between the two sides.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree linked the claimed F-15 loss to operations over Marib and said follow-on Saudi F-15 and Eurofighter Typhoon formations entered the area to search for wreckage before withdrawing. Saudi authorities had not confirmed the loss of any aircraft, leaving the claim unverified at publication time. Riyadh’s drone allegation added religious sensitivity to the military dispute, after the Houthi side denied any intent to target Mecca and insisted its operations were aimed at Saudi oil facilities and military sites.