Houthis Claim They Shot Down Saudi Fighter Jet, Deny Targeting Mecca
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia said it downed a Saudi fighter jet, while denying accusations that it fired a drone near the holy city of Mecca. The claim came hours after a Saudi-led coalition accused the group of the drone attack.
The Houthi militia in Yemen, backed by Iran, has claimed it shot down a Saudi fighter jet. The announcement came just hours after a Saudi-led military coalition accused the group of launching a drone near the Muslim holy city of Mecca.
The Houthis denied the drone accusation, saying they had not targeted the area near Mecca. Instead, the group put forward its own account of events, reporting that it had downed a Saudi warplane.
Details of both incidents — the alleged drone strike and the claimed downing of the jet — have not yet been made public. It remains unclear whether or how the two events are connected.
The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, are among the principal Iran-backed armed groups in the region and have repeatedly clashed with the Saudi-led coalition.
