Yemen’s Stunning Blow to Saudi War Machine
SANA’A -- Yemen’s Armed Forces delivered a series of devastating blows to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, downing an advanced Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Ma’rib, striking the Aramco oil facility in Yanbu with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones, and pounding King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait with ballistic missiles in retaliation for more than 450 Saudi airstrikes this week, as the war between Sana’a and Riyadh escalates into its most intense phase in years.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, announced in a statement that air defense units successfully shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet “while it was conducting hostile operations in support of its military buildup in the skies over Ma’rib Governorate,” using a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile.
In a related engagement, Yemeni forces fired locally produced missiles at two Saudi F-15 and Typhoon fighter formations that had entered Marib’s airspace searching for the wreckage of the downed aircraft, forcing them to retreat.
Muhammad Abdulsalam, head of Yemen’s negotiating
delegation and spokesman for Ansarallah, described the downing as “a major scandal” for Saudi Arabia, stating it exposed the falsehood of Riyadh’s claims that the kingdom is not engaging in aggression against Yemen.
He warned that Yemen’s air defense capabilities are steadily strengthening and issued a stark message to Saudi pilots: “The next time they take off from their bases, they may never return.”
Abdulsalam also revealed that two Saudi pilots have long been held by Sana’a authorities, criticizing Riyadh for its inaction regarding their release.
Yemeni air defenses also downed an advanced Saudi reconnaissance and armed drone, Saree announced in a separate statement. The unmanned aircraft, identified as a Wing Loong 2, was targeted while conducting hostile operations in the skies over Ma’rib province.
The Wing Loong 2 is a Chinese-made medium-altitude, long-endurance platform capable of carrying precision-guided munitions and conducting sustained surveillance — one of the more sophisticated systems in the Saudi inventory. Its loss marks another blow to Riyadh’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities over Yemeni territory.
Separately, Al-Masirah TV reported a Saudi drone attack on the Al al-Sheikh area of Munabbih district in Sa’dah province.
In two “qualitative military operations,” Yemeni forces first targeted the Aramco facility in the western Saudi port city of Yanbu with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones. Saree stated the strikes were “precise and direct,” causing massive fires and widespread destruction.
The second operation struck King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, about 884 kilometers south of Riyadh, with a barrage of ballistic missiles that hit aircraft hangars, radar installations, runways, and ammunition depots, inflicting significant losses.
“We will continue our military operations deep inside Saudi territory, targeting Saudi troop buildups, and maintaining the equation of ‘a siege for a siege’ and ‘an escalation for an escalation’ until the aggression ceases and the blockade on our beloved country is lifted,” Saree declared.
He emphasized that any new Saudi escalation would be met with “broader and harsher operations”.
Behind the scenes, Israel has quietly engaged in discussions to provide intelligence support to Saudi Arabia, according to multiple reports citing diplomatic and security sources.
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman reportedly sent indirect requests to Israel through the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), seeking assistance to prevent the closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The cooperation would focus on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance — specifically to identify Houthi positions, movements, and military preparations .
The Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom reported that bin Salman acknowledged in his messages that the Kingdom is receiving “heavy defeats” in the war against Sana’a forces, warning that “this is not a war that concerns Saudi Arabia alone, but a battle that affects the entire world”.
An Israeli security official told I24 that the rapprochement “reopens the path to expanding the Abraham Accords,” adding: “You asked for help and Israel knew how to help you. Know who your friends are.”
The request comes as Saudi Arabia’s traditional allies have proven insufficient. U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly rejected a personal request from bin Salman to intervene directly in the war.
Israel has its own direct interests in preventing Yemeni consolidation around Bab al-Mandeb, as 98 percent of Israel’s imports arrive by sea and the blockade has nearly halted activity at Eilat port.
The Yemeni operations came in direct response to a brutal Saudi escalation. According to Saree, Saudi warplanes launched more than 450 airstrikes this week using F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets taking off from Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases, targeting the governorates of Ta’izz, Lahj, Al-Jawf, Hajjah, Ma’rib, Sa’dah, and Al-Bayda, resulting in civilian martyrs and wounded.
In just the past 24 hours, Saudi aircraft conducted 52 airstrikes on five Yemeni provinces, hitting schools, bridges, roads, and other civilian infrastructure.
Al-Masirah TV reported that airstrikes on Ta’izz province killed three civilians, including two children, and wounded two others.
Saudi authorities, meanwhile, reported that 13 people were injured in southern Saudi Arabia following Yemeni missile and drone attacks, with emergency alerts issued at the airbase and three other southern cities.
As the military confrontation intensifies, Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sana’a issued a statement asserting that navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait remains safe and that there are no problems in the waterway, rejecting Saudi claims to the contrary.
“There are no issues in Bab al-Mandab, and shipping in the region is safe. The Saudi regime’s efforts to mislead world public opinion are baseless,” the statement said.
This comes after Ansarallah forces seized the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha and the Hanish Islands last week, pushing the front line closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which lies approximately 70 kilometers south of Mocha.
Muhammad Abdul-Salam, the group’s spokesperson, stated that freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab remains “safe and regular,” insisting that the group’s operations pose “no threat” to international shipping.
However, Sana’a has maintained a naval blockade on Saudi shipping announced on July 20, and has claimed a series of attacks on Saudi tankers since launching the blockade.
The Yemeni parliament speaker, Yahya Ali al-Ra’i, emphasized in a letter to international parliamentary bodies that the naval blockade is directed solely against Saudi Arabia, and that Sana’a remains committed to ensuring the safe passage of all ships in Yemeni territorial waters, with the exception of Saudi-affiliated vessels.
Yemeni officials categorically rejected Saudi claims that Sana’a had targeted the holy city of Mecca.
“The slanders and lies propagated by the Al Saud regime about targeting Mecca cannot be accepted by anyone. From Yemen, there is no danger to the holy sites, and our operations only target their oil facilities and military bases,” the Armed Forces statement said.
Ansarallah political bureau member Hizam al-Assad described the Saudi claim as a “repeated lie,” suggesting Riyadh is attempting to inflame Muslim public opinion to rally support for its “aggressive and inhumane policies” against the Yemeni people.
He warned that Yemen’s air defense capabilities are steadily strengthening and issued a stark message to Saudi pilots: “The next time they take off from their bases, they may never return.”
Abdulsalam also revealed that two Saudi pilots have long been held by Sana’a authorities, criticizing Riyadh for its inaction regarding their release.
Yemeni air defenses also downed an advanced Saudi reconnaissance and armed drone, Saree announced in a separate statement. The unmanned aircraft, identified as a Wing Loong 2, was targeted while conducting hostile operations in the skies over Ma’rib province.
The Wing Loong 2 is a Chinese-made medium-altitude, long-endurance platform capable of carrying precision-guided munitions and conducting sustained surveillance — one of the more sophisticated systems in the Saudi inventory. Its loss marks another blow to Riyadh’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities over Yemeni territory.
Separately, Al-Masirah TV reported a Saudi drone attack on the Al al-Sheikh area of Munabbih district in Sa’dah province.
In two “qualitative military operations,” Yemeni forces first targeted the Aramco facility in the western Saudi port city of Yanbu with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones. Saree stated the strikes were “precise and direct,” causing massive fires and widespread destruction.
The second operation struck King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, about 884 kilometers south of Riyadh, with a barrage of ballistic missiles that hit aircraft hangars, radar installations, runways, and ammunition depots, inflicting significant losses.
“We will continue our military operations deep inside Saudi territory, targeting Saudi troop buildups, and maintaining the equation of ‘a siege for a siege’ and ‘an escalation for an escalation’ until the aggression ceases and the blockade on our beloved country is lifted,” Saree declared.
He emphasized that any new Saudi escalation would be met with “broader and harsher operations”.
Behind the scenes, Israel has quietly engaged in discussions to provide intelligence support to Saudi Arabia, according to multiple reports citing diplomatic and security sources.
Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman reportedly sent indirect requests to Israel through the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), seeking assistance to prevent the closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The cooperation would focus on intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance — specifically to identify Houthi positions, movements, and military preparations .
The Hebrew newspaper Israel Hayom reported that bin Salman acknowledged in his messages that the Kingdom is receiving “heavy defeats” in the war against Sana’a forces, warning that “this is not a war that concerns Saudi Arabia alone, but a battle that affects the entire world”.
An Israeli security official told I24 that the rapprochement “reopens the path to expanding the Abraham Accords,” adding: “You asked for help and Israel knew how to help you. Know who your friends are.”
The request comes as Saudi Arabia’s traditional allies have proven insufficient. U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly rejected a personal request from bin Salman to intervene directly in the war.
Israel has its own direct interests in preventing Yemeni consolidation around Bab al-Mandeb, as 98 percent of Israel’s imports arrive by sea and the blockade has nearly halted activity at Eilat port.
The Yemeni operations came in direct response to a brutal Saudi escalation. According to Saree, Saudi warplanes launched more than 450 airstrikes this week using F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets taking off from Khamis Mushait and Taif airbases, targeting the governorates of Ta’izz, Lahj, Al-Jawf, Hajjah, Ma’rib, Sa’dah, and Al-Bayda, resulting in civilian martyrs and wounded.
In just the past 24 hours, Saudi aircraft conducted 52 airstrikes on five Yemeni provinces, hitting schools, bridges, roads, and other civilian infrastructure.
Al-Masirah TV reported that airstrikes on Ta’izz province killed three civilians, including two children, and wounded two others.
Saudi authorities, meanwhile, reported that 13 people were injured in southern Saudi Arabia following Yemeni missile and drone attacks, with emergency alerts issued at the airbase and three other southern cities.
As the military confrontation intensifies, Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sana’a issued a statement asserting that navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait remains safe and that there are no problems in the waterway, rejecting Saudi claims to the contrary.
“There are no issues in Bab al-Mandab, and shipping in the region is safe. The Saudi regime’s efforts to mislead world public opinion are baseless,” the statement said.
This comes after Ansarallah forces seized the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha and the Hanish Islands last week, pushing the front line closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which lies approximately 70 kilometers south of Mocha.
Muhammad Abdul-Salam, the group’s spokesperson, stated that freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab remains “safe and regular,” insisting that the group’s operations pose “no threat” to international shipping.
However, Sana’a has maintained a naval blockade on Saudi shipping announced on July 20, and has claimed a series of attacks on Saudi tankers since launching the blockade.
The Yemeni parliament speaker, Yahya Ali al-Ra’i, emphasized in a letter to international parliamentary bodies that the naval blockade is directed solely against Saudi Arabia, and that Sana’a remains committed to ensuring the safe passage of all ships in Yemeni territorial waters, with the exception of Saudi-affiliated vessels.
Yemeni officials categorically rejected Saudi claims that Sana’a had targeted the holy city of Mecca.
“The slanders and lies propagated by the Al Saud regime about targeting Mecca cannot be accepted by anyone. From Yemen, there is no danger to the holy sites, and our operations only target their oil facilities and military bases,” the Armed Forces statement said.
Ansarallah political bureau member Hizam al-Assad described the Saudi claim as a “repeated lie,” suggesting Riyadh is attempting to inflame Muslim public opinion to rally support for its “aggressive and inhumane policies” against the Yemeni people.