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Saudi F-15 downed in Yemen as Houthis release wreckage video
Published : Thursday, 17 September, 2026 at 10:12 AM
Observer Online Report
Collected Photo
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement has claimed to have shot down a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 fighter jet in the airspace over Marib province, releasing video footage that purports to show charred debris and aircraft parts bearing Saudi military markings at a desert crash site.
The development marks a sharp escalation in confrontation between Saudi Arabia and Houthi forces, accompanied by traded accusations surrounding air operations and alleged drone targeting of religious sites.
Houthi Claim and Released Footage
Military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that Houthi air defense units downed the Saudi F-15 using a locally manufactured air-to-air missile while the aircraft was executing hostile missions supporting Saudi-backed ground maneuvers in Marib.
Footage distributed by Houthi-affiliated media outlets illustrates tracking sequences, a missile launch, and an aerial explosion followed by falling debris. Subsequent daytime scenes showcase twisted metal scattered across rocky terrain, including a vertical stabilizer featuring the Saudi national flag emblem and Arabic insignia. Armed fighters are shown navigating the crash perimeter in pickup trucks while examining the wreckage.
The group further claimed its defense systems intercepted subsequent formations of F-15 and Typhoon jets attempting to locate the crash site, forcing them to disengage.
Dispute Over Mecca Airspace
The claims follow a statement from Saudi-led coalition spokesman Col. Turki al-Malki, who announced that Royal Saudi Air Defense forces intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone targeting the restricted airspace south of Mecca. Describing the breach as a "terrorist act" and highlighting holy site security as a non-negotiable red line, coalition officials pointed to a similar 2017 ballistic missile interception.
Houthi officials rejected the coalition's assertions, categorizing accusations of targeting holy cities as fabricated propaganda and maintaining that Yemen poses no threat to Islamic sacred sites.
Escalating Conflict Dynamics
The incident occurs against a backdrop of intensified aerial activity across northern and central Yemen. Houthi sources accused the coalition of conducting over 450 airstrikes across multiple governorates, while coalition operations continue targeting Houthi positions around strategic Red Sea coastal zones and inland frontlines.
Saudi authorities have not officially confirmed the loss of the F-15 fighter jet, and independent military analysts note that full crash-site verification remains unverified by third-party observers.
-SA
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
