Saudis pound Yemen as Houthis solidify gains; Houthis down Saudi F-15SA over Marib, aircraft identified as tail 5529 of 55th Squadron, pilots' fate unknown

Saudi forces are carrying out strikes in Yemen while the Houthis consolidate gains in a new theatre of the Middle East war, Reuters reports, saying the Houthi blitz has left Saudi Arabia exposed and Iran emboldened. Saudi warplanes struck Taiz province, reportedly killing three people, and the Saudi-led coalition said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone before it entered restricted airspace around Mecca, according to coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki; Saudi Arabia and the Arab League condemned what they called an attempted Houthi attack on Mecca, which the Houthis rejected as a "lie". The Houthis said they attacked a Saudi airbase in Khamis Mushait and Aramco facilities in Yanbu, claims Saudi Arabia has not confirmed. Footage circulating shows the moment a Houthi surface-to-air missile struck a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA over the city of Marib and the wreckage on the ground; the Houthis' military media has since released full video of the shoot-down and crash site, and the aircraft has been identified as RSAF F-15SA tail number 5529, operated by the 55th Squadron — Saudi Arabia's advanced Strike Eagle variant fitted with the APG-63(V)3 AESA radar. The fate of the pilots is still unknown. The Houthis have also published images of fighters posing with the wreckage, and one account claims the jet was brought down with roughly $100,000 worth of surface-to-surface missiles. The Houthis also say they shot down a Saudi Wing Loong 2 armed surveillance drone over Marib province. Yemen's pro-government Southern Giants Forces say they are battling Houthi fighters on the Kahbub front near Bab al-Mandab, claiming heavy losses inflicted on fighters and equipment, as fighting between the Houthis and government forces escalates in western Yemen.

Detected & updated continuously · Source: Nebula