Voice of Urdu – International News in English & Urdu

Houthis Claim Saudi F-15 Shootdown Over Yemen Marib — AI-generated representative image: Smoke rises from the wreckage of a downed fighter jet in a desert area, illustrating reported claims of a shootdown over Yeme

Editorial Team

Yemeni group releases video of burning F-15 wreckage as Riyadh stays silent on the loss

Yemen's Houthi forces claimed on Wednesday to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib Governorate, releasing video footage of the warplane's burning wreckage. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the jet was brought down using what he described as a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile.

If verified, the video would be the first clear evidence of a Saudi jet downed by Houthi air defenses. The Saudi military has not yet confirmed the loss, and Saree did not specify when the incident occurred.

The claim marks a significant escalation in renewed fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, which resumed this July after a years-long ceasefire. The development carries strategic weight because Houthi advances along Yemen's western coast now threaten Saudi Arabia's vital Red Sea oil export routes.

Reported Incidents

In a video statement, Saree said Houthi fighters also repelled two waves of Saudi F-15s and Eurofighter Typhoon jets that were scrambled to search for the wreckage. He added that Houthi forces struck a Saudi airbase in Khamis Mushait and Aramco oil facilities in Yanbu with drones and ballistic missiles on the same day.

Footage released by the Houthis showed a missile crew locking onto the jet and opening fire, followed by a missile impacting the aircraft as it plunged to the ground in a fireball. It remains unclear whether the pilot managed to eject.

Background of the Conflict

Saudi Arabia has been waging war against the Houthis, also known as the Ansar Allah movement, since 2015. Fighting was paused by a ceasefire in 2022, but violence erupted again this July when the Saudi-backed government in Aden struck an airport in Houthi-controlled Sana'a. The Houthis responded with strikes on Saudi targets, and Saudi jets resumed large-scale airstrikes on Yemen.

Last week, Houthi forces swept across Yemen's western coast, seizing the port city of Mocha and solidifying their control over the Bab el-Mandeb strait. Before Wednesday, the Houthis had claimed to have shot down three Saudi fighters, one in 2017 and two in 2018, and to have damaged a Saudi jet in 2018. Riyadh denied ever losing a warplane to Houthi fire, and those earlier claims could not be verified without clear video evidence.

Video Footage and Strategic Implications

Crash-site footage released by the Houthis showed fighters lifting the aircraft's tail section, which bore the Saudi flag. The militants posed in front of the tail section chanting slogans directed at the United States and Israel.

The Houthi offensive threatens Saudi Arabia's vital oil exports. The Kingdom recently shifted its exports from the Persian Gulf in the east to the Red Sea in the west because the Strait of Hormuz remains shut amid the US war on Iran. With the Houthis now controlling Yemen's western coast, Saudi exports face pressure from both directions.

What Lies Ahead

The Saudi military has not yet confirmed the loss of the F-15, and no official statement has been issued regarding the reported strikes on Khamis Mushait and Yanbu. Independent verification of the Houthi claims is still awaited, including confirmation of the pilot's fate.