Yemen Army confirms downing of Saudi F-15 warplane over Ma’rib
Yemeni forces reject allegations of targeting Mecca and vow to defend airspace and sovereignty
Yemen’s Armed Forces have claimed that they shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Ma’rib Province using a domestically manufactured surface-to-air missile.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said in a statement on Wednesday that the aircraft was conducting what he described as “hostile activities” over Ma’rib when it was targeted and brought down.
According to Saree, the Saudi aircraft was operating in support of forces affiliated with Saudi Arabia. He said Yemeni air defences also confronted Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets over the province, forcing them to withdraw while attempting to locate the wreckage of the downed aircraft.
Mohammed Abdulsalam, spokesman for Yemen’s Houthi movement and head of its negotiating delegation, described the reported downing of the F-15 as a significant development in Yemen’s air-defence capabilities.
In comments carried by Al Mayadeen, Abdulsalam said the incident demonstrated what he described as Yemen’s growing ability to defend its airspace and sovereignty. He also accused Saudi Arabia of conducting military operations against Yemen and said the incident exposed what he called contradictions in Riyadh’s position.
“The skies of Yemen will not remain open to anyone who violates them,” Abdulsalam said, warning that Saudi aircraft could face further losses.
He also claimed that two Saudi pilots had been held by authorities in Sana’a for an extended period and criticised the Saudi government for what he described as a failure to secure their release.
The Yemeni Armed Forces further claimed that Saudi warplanes had carried out more than 450 airstrikes in the provinces of Taiz, Lahij, al-Jawf, Hajjah, Ma’rib, Saada and al-Bayda, resulting in casualties. The claims could not be independently verified.
Addressing Saudi allegations that Yemen had targeted Mecca, the Yemeni Armed Forces rejected the accusations as “slanders and lies,” saying that its operations were directed at military positions and oil-related facilities rather than Islamic holy sites.
The Yemeni forces also reiterated their pledge to defend the country’s airspace and sovereignty against what they described as foreign aggression.
The reported incident comes amid heightened tensions along Yemen’s western coastline, where Yemeni forces and Saudi-backed groups have clashed over strategic areas and coastal positions.
Yemeni authorities have also recently claimed control of Perim Island, also known as Mayyun Island, a strategically located island in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The waterway is a major maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The reported developments have coincided with renewed military activity along Yemen’s western front and Saudi airstrikes against positions and infrastructure controlled by Yemeni forces.
On July 20, the Sana’a-based authorities announced what they described as a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, citing the prolonged conflict and restrictions imposed on Yemen.
Since then, Yemeni forces have claimed a series of operations against vessels they say are linked to Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.
The conflict escalated significantly in March 2015, when Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a military campaign in Yemen. The intervention received military, political and logistical support from the United States and several Western countries.
The latest claims come as tensions over Yemen’s airspace, coastline and strategic waterways remain high, with competing accounts from the parties involved.