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

The video shared by Houthi Military Media begins with an electronic graphic showing a missile striking what appears to be a fighter jet

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have claimed that they shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet in Marib province in central Yemen. The Houthi Military Media also shared a video that has gone viral on social media, purportedly showing Houthi fighters inspecting wreckage in a desert landscape, CNN reported.

Houthi fighters stand in front of what they claim is a downed Saudi jet at a location identified as Yemen, in this still image taken from a handout video released on September 16, 2026. Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS.

The video begins with an electronic graphic showing a missile striking what appears to be a fighter jet, followed by footage of the Houthi fighters.

Houthi rebels push a piece of wreckage that Houthi military media says belongs to a downed Saudi jet, at a location identified as Yemen, in this still image taken from a handout video released on September 16, 2026. Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS.

According to a reported Houthi statement, the F-15, a US-made aircraft, was downed using a “locally manufactured surface-to-air missile” while it was “conducting hostile operations”.

If Houthis claim of the Saudi jet going down is confirmed, it would mark only the second time that this US-built aircraft has been shot down in a war. This year, the US Air Force F-15 Strike Eagle was shot down by Iranian forces in the West Asia war.

Burning debris from the wreckage of what the Houthi military media wing says is a downed Saudi jet, at a location given as Yemen, in this still image from a handout video released on September 16, 2026. Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree was quoted by Al Jazeera as making a similar claim, saying that a Saudi F-15 fighter jet had been shot down over Yemen’s Marib governorate. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities.

Houthis step up attack

The Houthis have stepped up their attacks against Saudi Arabia in recent days.

A week ago, the Iran-backed Houthis claimed to have seized control of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast and captured three strategic islands in a lightning offensive, further consolidating their hold over a vital shipping corridor linking Europe and Asia.

This development and further attacks have had an impact on Saudi Arabia’s oil production and distribution capacity. Saudi state-run oil company Aramco had shut down a key pipeline after it was targeted in drone attacks amid the ongoing conflict. The Houthis’ reported control of parts of the Red Sea presents another challenge for Saudi Arabia, with the Strait of Hormuz also remaining blocked amid ongoing tensions between the US and Iran.

However, a Bloomberg report cited an Aramco employee as saying that Saudi Arabia is seeking to restore around half the capacity of its cross-country oil pipeline within days after the link was halted last week following drone attacks.

Late on Thursday, the Saudi defence forces claimed that debris from an intercepted Houthi drone has killed one person and injured two others.

One Yemeni was killed, and a Saudi citizen and a Pakistani national were injured in Taif province in the western part of the country, the Associated Press said citing officials.