Yemeni Iran-backed Houthi rebels said today they had shot down a Saudi fighter jet, accusing Riyadh of carrying out hundreds of airstrikes on Yemeni territory, Agence France-Presse reported, BTA reported.
Anti-government fighters managed to "shoot down a Saudi F-15 warplane with a locally-made surface-to-air missile while it was carrying out hostile operations /.../ in the airspace of Marib province," Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari said.
Earlier, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen reported that Saudi air defenses had intercepted and destroyed a drone belonging to Yemeni Houthi rebels before it entered the restricted airspace of the city of Mecca. The Houthis denied carrying out such an attack.
Meanwhile, the United States warned its citizens to avoid travel to Saudi Arabia due to the risks posed by Iran and Yemen's Houthi rebels.
A statement from the embassy said there was a risk of "Iranian drones and missiles threatening American interests". "Do not travel to the Yemeni border due to the terrorist threat", the US diplomatic mission urged.