Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree responded Wednesday morning to the recent escalation in tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia.
"This week, Saudi warplanes launched more than 450 airstrikes using F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets, which took off from Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases, these airstrikes targeted the governorates of Taiz, Lahj, Al-Jawf, Hajjah, Ma'rib, Sa'dah, and Al-Bayda, resulting in martyrs and wounded of civilian casualties," he wrote in a statement.
"In the face of this brutal aggression against our country and people, the Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah's help and grace, were able to shoot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet while it was conducting hostile operations in support of its military buildup in the skies over Marib Governorate, the fighter jet was downed using a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile."
He added, "In a related operation, the Yemeni Armed Forces, with Allah's help, engaged with two Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter formations in the skies over Marib Governorate using locally manufactured missiles, these formations were searching for the wreckage of the downed aircraft and, by Allah's grace, were forced to retreat."
"The Yemeni Armed Forces will continue to protect our country's airspace and sovereignty from any aggression or violation by all available means, Allah's willing, Yemen's skies will not be violated.
"The fabrications and lies propagated by the criminal Saudi regime regarding targeting Mecca cannot deceive anyone, they are the ones who defile it with immorality, debauchery, and the importation of prostitutes, there is no threat whatsoever from Yemen to the holy sites, our operations target their oil facilities and military bases, and are far removed from the holy places."