Iran-backed Houthis claim they shot down Saudi's F-15 jet with 'locally manufactured missile'; release video

Yemen's Houthi rebels claim they downed a Saudi F-15 jet using a missile made locally. The Houthi Military Media released a video alleging the downing, showing wreckage in a desert. The video starts with a graphic depicting a missile hitting a fighter jet, followed by footage of Houthi fighters. The Houthi statement says the F-15 was "conducting hostile operations" when it was shot down.

Whether the claim is true remains unverified. This would be only the second time a US-built aircraft has been shot down in a war. Earlier this year, an F-15 Strike Eagle was downed by Iranian forces in a conflict in West Asia. A Houthi spokesman made a similar claim, stating that a Saudi F-15 was shot down over Yemen's Marib province.

The Saudi authorities have not confirmed the incident. In recent days, the Houthis have intensified their attacks against Saudi Arabia. They claimed to take control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coast and three strategic islands, expanding their grip over a crucial shipping route linking Europe and Asia. Saudi Arabia's oil production and distribution capacity faced an impact due to these attacks. The state-run oil company Aramco shut down a key pipeline after it was targeted by drone attacks.