Houthis say Saudi F-15 downed over Marib

Yemen’s Houthis claimed on Wednesday that they had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib governorate, an assertion that would mark a significant escalation in the renewed fighting between the group and Saudi Arabia if independently confirmed.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the aircraft was hit while conducting operations over Marib and was brought down by what he described as a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile. Saudi Arabia had not publicly confirmed the loss of an F-15 by Thursday, and the circumstances of the alleged shootdown remained unverified.

The Houthis released video and images that they said showed the engagement and wreckage of the aircraft. The material appeared to include debris carrying Saudi markings, but the exact location and date of the footage, the identity of the aircraft and the cause of its destruction could not be independently established from the images alone.

Saree also said Houthi air-defence units later confronted formations of Saudi F-15 and Eurofighter Typhoon jets that were searching for the wreckage and forced them to withdraw. That account has not been confirmed by Saudi authorities or an independent source.

The claim came as both sides intensified military operations across Yemen and Saudi territory. Saree accused Saudi warplanes of carrying out more than 450 strikes during the week across several Yemeni governorates, including Marib, Taiz, Saada, Hajjah, Lahj, Al Jawf and Al Bayda. The figure and the Houthi account of casualties have not been independently verified.

The Houthis also said they had targeted King Khalid Air Base at Khamis Mushait and energy facilities in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu. Saudi Arabia has not confirmed those claimed strikes. The renewed exchanges have increased concern over the security of Saudi energy infrastructure and the Red Sea approaches, where maritime traffic has already faced repeated disruption.

Saudi authorities, meanwhile, said air defences intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone on Tuesday before it entered restricted airspace around Makkah. The Saudi Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as an attempted attack on the holy city and said the kingdom reserved the right to take all necessary measures to defend its territory, citizens, residents and holy sites.

The Houthis denied targeting Makkah. Saree said the group’s operations were directed at military installations and oil facilities and rejected Saudi accusations that the drone had been aimed at Islam’s holiest city. The competing accounts have further sharpened the confrontation, with neither side providing independently verifiable evidence resolving the dispute over the drone’s intended target.

Saudi Arabia has also sought additional missile-defence assistance from regional and Western partners as the confrontation has intensified, with officials concerned about pressure on interceptor stocks. The United States has so far limited its role to intelligence and diplomatic support, while Egypt and Oman have pursued efforts aimed at containing the widening confrontation and preventing further escalation.

Washington continues to list Ansarallah, the formal name of the Houthi movement, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The United States has backed Yemen’s internationally recognised government diplomatically while avoiding a direct combat role in the latest Saudi-Houthi fighting. US officials have also maintained contacts with Houthi representatives through Oman as diplomatic efforts continue alongside the military escalation.

The latest clashes follow a period of reduced cross-border hostilities after the 2022 United Nations-brokered truce, which formally expired but helped suppress large-scale Saudi-Houthi exchanges for years. That relative calm has eroded as Houthi forces expanded operations against Saudi-backed Yemeni forces and Saudi Arabia resumed heavier air activity.

Marib remains strategically important because it is one of the main areas held by forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognised government and lies close to key energy infrastructure. Control of routes around the governorate has repeatedly shaped the military balance between the Houthis and their opponents.

Saudi Arabia operates several F-15 variants as a core element of its combat air fleet, giving any confirmed loss particular military significance. The aircraft has been used extensively in coalition operations over Yemen, where Houthi forces have over the years developed a mix of missiles, drones and air-defence systems with varying ranges and capabilities.