Houthi Group Claims Downing Saudi Arabia’s F-15 Fighter Jet

The armed Houthi rebel group in Yemen claimed on Thursday that they successfully shot down a Saudi Arabian fighter jet. The Houthis also presented evidence that the weapon used to bring down the Saudi plane was manufactured within Yemen itself. Yahya Sari, the spokesperson for the armed Houthi group, stated on social media, “The Yemeni armed forces have succeeded in downing a Saudi F-15 fighter jet that was conducting a hostile operation in the airspace of Marib province.”

Spokesperson Sari also dismissed other accusations made by Saudi Arabia. The Saudi side had accused the Houthi rebels of targeting the city of Mecca with attacks earlier this week. “Our operations are focused on oil facilities and military headquarters,” Houthi spokesperson Sari clarified.

Since July, when the civil war in Yemen intensified again, the armed Houthi group has been engaged in conflict with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces.