Houthis release video claiming to show Saudi F-15 jet shot down after alleged Mecca drone attack - The Indian Express

The Houthi movement in Yemen on Tuesday released a short video that it says shows the wreckage of a Saudi Arabian Air Force F‑15 fighter jet that was brought down after a Houthi‑launched drone struck the holy city of Mecca. In the footage, a broken jet fuselage lies amid a desert backdrop, and a voice‑over claims the aircraft was hit by a locally‑made missile following what the group described as a “legitimate retaliation” for the Saudi‑backed coalition’s operations near the Red Sea. The video, posted to the rebels’ official Telegram channel, is framed as proof that the Houthis possess the capability to strike deep into Saudi airspace, a claim that would mark a significant escalation in the decades‑long conflict.

Saudi officials, however, have dismissed the claim as propaganda. The Saudi-led coalition’s spokesperson confirmed that a drone was intercepted and destroyed near Mecca on the same day but categorically denied any loss of an F‑15, stating that “all our aircraft remain operational and there have been no casualties.” Independent military analysts have noted that the wreckage shown in the video bears a resemblance to older, decommissioned jet components rather than a modern combat loss, and they have called for satellite imagery or on‑the‑ground verification before the claim can be accepted as factual. The United States, which supplies advanced weapons to the Saudi air force, has not commented on the specific incident but has reiterated its support for Saudi efforts to counter Houthi attacks.

The episode comes amid a widening regional flare‑up that analysts say is increasingly framed by the broader US‑Iran rivalry. Recent Houthi strikes on Saudi oil facilities, combined with the coalition’s intensified air campaigns in Yemen, have heightened fears of a spillover into the Kingdom’s interior, including the sacred precincts of Mecca and Medina. While the Houthis have stepped up their drone and missile deployments, Saudi Arabia continues to rely on U.S. intelligence and air‑defence systems to protect its airspace. The disputed claim of an F‑15 loss underscores the fog of war that surrounds the conflict and highlights the challenges faced by both sides in verifying battlefield narratives that serve strategic propaganda purposes.