Houthis claim downing of Saudi F-15

Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they had shot down a Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 fighter jet over Yemen using a home-made missile, as clashes between the group and Saudi-backed forces intensified.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced the claim on Telegram. The claim has not been independently verified and Saudi Arabia has not commented, says the New York Post.

Images published by Iranian and Houthi media appeared to show Houthi fighters standing atop a downed F-15 jet.

Saudi Arabia separately said its military had intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of Mecca after it entered prohibited airspace.

Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, accused the Houthis of deliberately attempting to target Islam's holiest site and provoke millions of Muslims. The Houthis denied targeting Mecca.

The incidents followed a broader Houthi offensive over the weekend aimed at seizing territory held by Saudi-backed forces in Yemen.

The Houthis have also carried out drone attacks that disabled Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline, a key piece of the country's energy infrastructure.

The reported incident near Mecca has raised concerns about a wider regional escalation because of a joint defence agreement signed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. The agreement states that aggression against one member is treated as an attack on all three.

Neither Turkey nor Pakistan has mounted a military response to the latest developments, according to the information provided.