The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthi rebels intensified on Wednesday after the Houthis claimed to have shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib province in Yemen. Houthis claimed a locally made munition was used to target the warplane, according to the news agency AFP.ย ย The claim came hours after Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted drones flying towards Mecca.
F-15 fighter jet was carrying out hostile operations
“The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah’s aid and grace, succeeded in shooting down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet while it was carrying out hostile operations in support of its military mobilisations in the airspace of Marib province,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media, while accusing Saudi Arabia of launching 450 strikes.
He said the jet had been targeted “using a locally made air-to-air missile”.
The spokesman also dismissed Saudi claims that the Houthis had targeted the holy city of Mecca this week. “Our operations target its oil facilities and military bases, which are far removed from the sacred sites,” he said.
Houthi drone shot down near Meccaย
This comes hours after Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed a drone launched by Yemen’s Houthis in the south of the holy city of Makkah Al-Mukarramah, popularly known as Mecca,ย prompting the Saudi-led coalition to issue a strong warning that the security of Islam’s two holiest sites is a “red line”. According to the Saudi-led coalition, the Royal Saudi Air Defence Forces intercepted the drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening (September 15), before it could enter the restricted airspace over the holy city.
Coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Malki described the incident as a “hostile and terrorist act”, saying the drone had been launched by what he called the “Terrorist Houthi Militia”.
“The security of the Two Holy Mosques and the pilgrims is a red line,” Al-Malki said, adding that the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition “will not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures” against the Houthi movement.
The coalition said the incident represented the second attempt to target Mecca, referring to a previous attempt involving a ballistic missile on July 27, 2017.
Saudi-Houthi conflict
The Houthis have been engaged in renewed fighting with Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces since Yemen’s civil war reignited in July. The rebel group has also declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia and targeted Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea.
In a lightning offensive last week, the Houthis claimed control over Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline, including the strategically vital Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The strait has gained greater importance for Saudi crude exports as the wider conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.
(With AFP, ANIย inputs)
Also Readย
US military destroys two Iranian boats trying to steal sea drone near Hormuz
40,000 bombs for Israel? Trump plans $2.8 billion arms deal as Gaza ceasefire remains fragile