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Houthis say shot down Saudi warplane
“The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah’s aid and grace, succeeded in shooting down a Saudi F15 fighter jet while it was carrying out hostile operations in support of its military mobilizations in the airspace of Marib province,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media, while slamming Saudi Arabia for launching 450 strikes, AFP reported.
He said the jet had been targeted “using a locally made air-to-air missile”.
The spokesman also dismissed Saudi claims that the Houthis had targeted the holy city of Mecca this week.
“Our operations target its oil facilities and military bases, which are far removed from the sacred sites,” he said.
The Houthis have been engaged in renewed fighting with Saudi-backed forces since Yemen’s civil war reignited in July.
The group have also declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and have been targeting its ships in the Red Sea.
In a lightning offensive last week, the Houthis seized control of the entirety of Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandab Strait.
The strait has become vital to Saudi crude exports as the wider Middle East war chokes the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.