Houthi rebels released video on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, that they say shows a Saudi F-15 shot down over Marib governorate in Yemen with a locally made surface-to-air missile. The footage shows an image of a missile striking a jet, followed by fighters inspecting wreckage and holding up a tailfin bearing a Saudi flag and the number 5539.
CNN says it couldn’t verify or geolocate the footage, though a military analyst said the tail markings were consistent with a Saudi F-15. Saudi Arabia hasn’t commented, and the Houthis said nothing about the crew.
The claim comes as the Houthis expand their territory and step up attacks on Saudi Arabia, which has responded with retaliatory strikes. Last week they captured a Red Sea port city and an island near a waterway that serves as a backup route to the Strait of Hormuz for Saudi oil exports. There are growing fears the US-Iran war could draw Saudi Arabia into a wider conflict.
