Houthis warn Saudi pilots after F-15 is downed over Marib
Mohammed Abdul-Salam, spokesman for Yemen’s Houthi movement, has warned Saudi pilots after announcing that a Saudi F-15 fighter jet was targeted in Marib airspace.
He described the incident as a heavy blow to Saudi Arabia and said Riyadh’s claims that it is not attacking Yemen are called into question by the event. Abdul-Salam also said the incident was a message to countries in the region and around the world, warning them not to fall victim to Saudi “propaganda,” in his words.
The Houthi spokesman said the operation showed the expansion of Yemen’s air capabilities to protect the country’s airspace. He added that future attacks could inflict greater damage on the other side.
Abdul-Salam went on to tell Saudi pilots and those recruited for such missions that their fate could be death or capture. He also claimed that a number of Saudi pilots previously taken prisoner had remained in captivity for a long time and that Riyadh had made no move to secure their release.
Marib is considered one of Yemen’s strategic provinces and has repeatedly been the scene of intense fighting between the warring sides in recent years. The Yemen war has continued since 2014, and airstrikes and ground battles have been among the main fronts of the conflict.
