Houthis Claim Saudi F-15 Shot Down Over Yemen

Sana'a: Yemen's Houthi rebels have claimed that they shot down a Saudi Arabian F-15 fighter jet that was carrying out strikes in support of military operations in Yemen's Marib province.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the aircraft was brought down using an air-to-air missile manufactured locally in Yemen.

Saree also alleged that Saudi Arabia had carried out around 450 airstrikes against Yemen recently. He denied Saudi Arabia's allegation that the Houthis had targeted the holy city of Mecca.

The Houthi spokesperson said the group's attacks were directed only at oil facilities and military bases, which he claimed were located far from religious sites.

The Houthis have continued fighting forces of Yemen's Saudi-backed government since the country's civil war intensified again in July. The group has also announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.

The Houthis said last week that they had gained full control of Yemen's Red Sea coast and the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The waterway is a key route for Saudi oil exports amid the ongoing crisis around the Strait of Hormuz.