Houthis say they shot down Saudi F-15 over Yemen's Marib

SANAA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Yemen's Houthi group said Wednesday that it had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over the northeastern province of Marib, as hostilities between the two sides entered a new phase of intensified air operations and cross-border attacks.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement carried by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV that the fighter jet was struck by a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile while conducting "hostile operations" in support of Saudi-backed Yemeni forces in Marib.

Sarea said Houthi forces subsequently fired locally made air-defense missiles at two formations of Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets that entered Marib's airspace to search for the wreckage of the downed aircraft, forcing them to retreat.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the Houthi statement, and the reported downing of the aircraft could not be independently verified.

Sarea also said that Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets had carried out more than 450 airstrikes across seven Yemeni provinces over the past week, causing civilian casualties. He did not provide an overall casualty figure.

He said the group would continue using "all available means" against what it considers "violations of Yemen's airspace and sovereignty."

The spokesperson also rejected Saudi allegations that the Houthis had attempted to target Mecca, saying the group posed "no danger" to Islamic holy sites and that its cross-border operations targeted Saudi oil facilities and military bases.

The denial came after the Saudi-led coalition said Saudi air defenses had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca on Tuesday before it entered restricted airspace over Islam's holiest city.