Houthis claim Saudi F-15 shot down as Mecca drone row escalates

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the fighter jet was brought down while carrying out what he described as "hostile operations" in support of Saudi military activity in Yemen's Marib province.

"The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah's aid and grace, succeeded in shooting down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet," Saree said in a statement shared on social media.

The Houthis also released video footage that they said showed the aircraft being targeted and subsequently destroyed.

The footage includes nighttime scenes of flames and smoke followed by images of what appears to be aircraft wreckage scattered across rocky terrain.

However, the claim and the authenticity of the footage have not been independently verified, and Saudi authorities had not confirmed the reported loss of an F-15 as of Wednesday.

Houthis claim 450 Saudi airstrikes

Saree also accused Saudi forces of carrying out more than 450 airstrikes across Yemen in recent days.

The Houthis said the Saudi fighter was targeted during ongoing air operations over Marib and claimed their forces later confronted additional Saudi F-15 and Typhoon aircraft that arrived in the area.

Saudi Arabia has not publicly confirmed the Houthi account of the fighter jet being shot down.

Saudi Arabia says Houthi drone targeted Mecca

The claim came hours after Saudi Arabia said its air defences had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca before it entered the holy city's restricted airspace.

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said the drone was intercepted at around 6:50 p.m. local time on Tuesday.

He described the incident as a "terrorist act" and said the security of the Two Holy Mosques and pilgrims was a "red line."

Saudi authorities said it was the second reported attempt to target Mecca, referring to a 2017 ballistic missile incident.

Houthis deny targeting holy city

The Houthis rejected Saudi Arabia's allegation that they had targeted Mecca, calling the accusation fabricated.

The group has denied targeting religious sites and said Saudi Arabia's account was being used for propaganda purposes.

The competing claims could not immediately be independently verified.

Conflict intensifies amid wider West Asia crisis

The latest developments mark another escalation in fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with the exchange of attacks unfolding against the backdrop of the wider West Asia conflict.

The reported F-15 incident, the alleged drone attack near Mecca and the claims of hundreds of Saudi airstrikes indicate a sharp increase in military activity between the two sides.

For now, the reported downing of the Saudi fighter remains a Houthi claim, while Saudi Arabia has separately confirmed the interception of a drone near Mecca but disputes the circumstances surrounding it.