Yemen's Houthi Rebels Shoot Down Saudi Warplane Over Sanaa - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels managed to down a Saudi warplane over the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, local media reported on Monday.

The Houthis shot down the F-15 fighter with a ground-to-air missile, the Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency reported, citing the army's statement.

The incident occurred a day after another Saudi plane had crashed over the northern Yemeni province of Saada, with rebels and the Riyadh-led coalition providing conflicting reports about the accident. Saudi coalition insisted that the crash was caused by a technical malfunction, whereas the Houthis claim it was their air defense that brought the aircraft down.

READ MORE: Saudi Coalition Plane Crashes in Yemen, Both Pilots Saved

Yemen has been engulfed in a violent conflict between the government headed by President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah.

Since March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition has been carrying out an operation against the Houthis aimed at restoring the government of Hadi. The Houthi rebels in turn regularly respond with missile strikes on Saudi Arabia's infrastructure and cities.