Yemen's Houthis say shot down Saudi fighter jet

Yemen's Houthis on Wednesday said they shot down a Saudi fighter jet, claiming a locally made munition was used to target the warplane.

"The Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah's aid and grace, succeeded in shooting down a Saudi F15 fighter jet while it was carrying out hostile operations in support of its military mobilisations in the airspace of Marib province," the Houthis' military spokesman said.

In the statement posted to social media the spokesman, Yahya Saree, accused Saudi Arabia of launching 450 strikes in the the last week.

He added the jet had been targeted "using a locally made surface-to-air missile".

Saree also dismissed Saudi claims that the Houthis had targeted the holy city of Mecca this week.

"Our operations target its oil facilities and military bases, which are far removed from the sacred sites," he said.

Later, the Iran-backed group released footage of what it said was the targeting and downing of the jet.

In the video posted on social media, the burning wreckage of an aircraft could be seen in the desert and fighters posed with a part of the plane that appeared to show a Saudi flag.

Yemen's civil war had been dormant for years, but fighting between the Houthis and the internationally recognised government forces reignited in July.

The Houthis have also declared a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and have been targeting its ships in the Red Sea.

In a lightning offensive last week, the Houthis seized control of the entirety of Yemen's Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The strait has become vital to Saudi crude exports as the wider Middle East war chokes the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf.