Verified video shows wreck of Saudi warplane shot down over Yemen

Verified video shows wreck of Saudi warplane shot down over Yemen. ByThomas Copeland and Charlotte Green, BBC VerifyPublished17 September 2026Footage verified by the BBC shows the wreckage of a Saudi F-15 fighter jet which the Iran-backed Houthi group says it shot down over Yemen.

What happened

BBC Verify tracks down the location of a Houthi video showing the wreckage of an F-15 they claim to have shot down. More on this storyHow escalating Saudi oil crisis could drive up prices everywherePublished1 day agoSaudi Arabia says it shot down Houthi drone south of MeccaPublished1 day agoLightning Houthi advance in Yemen may bring dangerous new dimension to Iran warPublished6 days ago Downing the F-15 is also a "propaganda coup", said Yemen expert Adam Baron from the Washington-based New America think tank, as Saudi air support is considered to be "key to any significant pushback" against recent Houthi gains.

He also said they had shot down a Saudi fighter jet over Marib province. Experts have told BBC Verify the incident is a "propaganda coup" that shows the Houthis' military capability has advanced and they are prepared to further escalate its conflict with Saudi Arabia. In one of several video clips released by the Houthis, men with assault rifles can be seen at the crash site inspecting the wreckage. The Houthis also released a thermal video clip – which cannot be fully verified due to a lack of visual details – that appears to show a fighter jet in mid-flight being struck by a missile.

The wider picture

Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesImage caption, A similar Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 Strike Eagle formed part of an escort for US President Donald Trump during a visit to Saudi Arabia last yearThe four-digit tail number visible on the wreckage also appears to be consistent with that of an F-15 Strike Eagle operated by the 55th Squadron of the Royal Saudi Air Force based at King Khalid Air Base near the city of Khamis Mushait in south-west Saudi Arabia.

The group said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia had launched 40 air strikes against Yemen over the past 24 hours. Image source, ReutersImage caption, The Houthis denied they had targeted Mecca, where Islam's most sacred shrine is locatedByTabby WilsonPublished16 September 2026Saudi Arabia intercepted and destroyed a Houthi drone south of the Islamic holy city of Mecca on Tuesday evening, according to the spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. But the Houthis, an Iran-backed armed group that controls much of western Yemen, denied targeting Mecca and accused Saudi Arabia of "fabrications and lies".

The Houthis have recently seized control of large swathes of Yemen's Red Sea coast from Saudi-backed pro-government forces. A senior Trump administration official told the BBC: "We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen government regarding regional stability. "The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on Tuesday, during which both Yemen's government and Saudi Arabia called for more decisive action against the Houthis, who they accused of choking the Bab al-Mandab Strait as a way of applying economic pressure.

Related topicsHouthis YemenSaudi ArabiaYemen crisisMeccaMore on this storySatellite image reveals major damage that shut crucial Saudi oil pipelinePublished2 days agoHouthis claim major advance in Yemen and tighten grip on Red Sea shipping lanePublished6 days agoLightning Houthi advance in Yemen may bring dangerous new dimension to Iran warPublished6 days ago

What has been reported

Figure caption, BBC Verify has confirmed the footage was filmed in western Yemen. The US-made aircraft was "downed using a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile" as it "conducted hostile operations" over the Marib region, according to a Houthi statement on Wednesday. Using satellite imagery to match features in the landscape seen in the footage, BBC Verify was able to pinpoint the crash site to an isolated location in the hills west of the Yemeni city of Marib.

The long-running conflict between a Saudi-led military coalition and the Houthis has escalated in the last week after the armed group launched an offensive against pro-government forces. The fighters celebrate as they lift the jet's almost-intact tail fin which features the Saudi flag and a four-digit serial number. BBC Verify has contacted the Saudi Ministry of Defence for comment. Baraa Shiban, Yemen analyst at the Royal United Services Institute, told BBC Verify the incident showed it was "very clear the Houthis have been taking advantage of advice and technological support" from Iran.

"They continue to develop their military arsenal and capabilities to make it more and more painful on Saudi Arabia," he said.

What happens next

Satellite imagery published on Wednesday also shows a new dark shadow at the same location, which appears consistent with scorch or burn marks at a crash site. The aircraft in the wreckage has been independently identified by Nick Brown, a weapons expert from military intelligence company Janes, as an F-15 Strike Eagle. The base is one of a series of high-profile Saudi targets struck by the Houthis in recent days including an oil refinery in the city of Jizan.

Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday it had destroyed a Houthi drone close to the Islamic holy city of Mecca on Tuesday, which the Houthis have denied targeting. "There is no threat whatsoever from Yemen to the holy sites. Sarea added that the Houthis had launched drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia in retaliation for more than 450 Saudi air strikes on their territory over the past week. There was no immediate response from the Saudi-led coalition, but Maj Gen Maliki did say that its forces would "not hesitate to take the necessary and deterrent measures against the terrorist Houthi militia and its hostile and terrorist behaviour".

The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, wired.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.