Houthis Claim They Shot Down Saudi F-15 Over Yemen’s Marib

Yemen’s Houthi movement has claimed it shot down a Saudi Arabian F-15 fighter jet over Marib province, releasing footage that it says captures the operation and the aircraft’s wreckage.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Wednesday that the fighter was hit by a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile while carrying out operations over Marib in support of Saudi-backed forces.

The Houthis also claimed that additional Saudi F-15 and Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft entered the area while searching for the downed jet and were subsequently engaged by Houthi air-defence forces. Saree said the aircraft later withdrew.

The Houthi-controlled military media released video showing what appears to be an aircraft being hit in the night sky, followed by images of burning debris on the ground.

Reuters reported that the footage includes what appears to be part of a wing bearing the Saudi Arabian flag. However, the news agency said the exact location and date of the wreckage footage could not be independently verified.

Military analysts have also noted that the imagery released by the Houthis appears consistent with footage from a ground-based infrared targeting system, although that does not by itself independently establish the circumstances of the reported shootdown.

Saudi Arabia had not publicly acknowledged the loss of an F-15 at the time of reporting.

The alleged incident comes amid a sharp escalation in fighting between Saudi forces and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement. Saudi aircraft have been conducting strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, while the Houthis have launched missile and drone attacks toward Saudi territory.

The reported F-15 incident also follows a separate confrontation near Mecca. Saudi authorities said their air defences intercepted a Houthi drone south of the holy city before it entered restricted airspace. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca.