Yemen’s Houthis reported that they downed an F-15 fighter jet belonging to the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) over Yemen’s Marib Governorate, the Iran-backed terror group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Wednesday.
“The fighter jet was downed using a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile (SAM),” Saree stated.
He did not specify when the alleged incident occurred, though he said that RSAF jets had conducted “over 450 airstrikes” so far this week.
Saree added that the Houthis were able to repel two formations of RSAF F-15s and Typhoon fighter jets searching for the F-15 wreckage, utilizing the same type of SAMs that downed it.
The Houthi spokesperson also denied that the terror group had targeted Mecca in a drone strike.
Houthis deny posing threat to Mecca, Medina
“The fabrications and lies... cannot deceive anyone,” Saree said, adding, “There is no threat whatsoever from Yemen to the holy sites [Mecca and Medina].”
“Our operations target their oil facilities and military bases and are far removed from the holy places,” he said.
Saree’s statements on Mecca referred to an incident in which Saudi Arabia’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by the Houthis on Tuesday before it entered prohibited airspace over the holy city of Mecca, according to the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, which said so on Wednesday.
The coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said in a statement that it was the second Houthi attempt to target Mecca, Islam’s holiest city and the focal point of the annual Hajj pilgrimage; the first was a ballistic missile launch in July 2017, the coalition said.
Houthis claim attack on Saudi Arabia's Aramco facilities, military airbase
Saree said later on Wednesday that the Houthis had attacked an airbase in Khamis Mushait, as well as Aramco facilities in Yanbu.
Saudi Arabia did not confirm either of the attacks.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.