YAF Release Footage of F-15 Downing, Announce Wing Loong Interception

By Al Mayadeen English

16 Sep 2026 18:19

The Yemeni Armed Forces have released footage showing the downing of the Saudi F-15 fighter jet and its wreckage in Marib, while announcing another operation targeting a Wing Loong II drone.

The Yemeni Military Media released footage of the downing of a Saudi F-15 fighter jet over Marib Governorate, as the Saudi aggression against Yemen continues while the Yemeni Armed Forces respond with top-tier operations targeting hostile aircraft and enemy ground forces. 

The wreckage of the F-15SA fighter jet was documented where it had fallen over the governorate. 

The aircraft downed by the Yemeni Armed Forces, tail number 5529, was Saudi Arabia’s most advanced F-15 variant, surpassing the older F-15C/D in radar, ground-attack capability, flight controls, countermeasures, and several other systems, and costing up to $110 million or more.

Only Qatar’s F-15QA and the newer F-15EX, which has yet to enter service in significant numbers, are more modern.

Earlier today, spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the aircraft was targeted and brought down using a homegrown surface-to-air missile, marking a successful operation against Saudi aerial aggression.

Saree said the operation comes in response to Saudi aerial aggression after Saudi warplanes carried out more than 450 airstrikes during the past week using F-15 and Typhoon aircraft launched from the Khamis Mushait and Taif air bases.

YAF down Wing Loong II over Marib

In another operation, spokesperson Yahya Saree announced that the armed forces had intercepted and successfully shot down a Saudi-operated Wing Loong II drone over Marib. 

According to Saree, the aircraft was downed while carrying hostile missions over the governorate using the appropriate weapons. 

Earlier, the YAF carried out two top-tier military operations against targets in Saudi Arabia in response to continued Saudi aggression and an intensified air campaign against Yemen.

The first operation targeted Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu with dozens of ballistic missiles and drones, according to the statement. Saree said the strikes directly hit their targets, causing major fires and extensive damage.

The second operation targeted the Khamis Mushait airbase with several ballistic missiles. The statement said the attack also achieved a direct hit.