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A still image from a video released on the 16th (local time) shows pro-Iranian Yemeni Houthi rebel fighters standing before what they claim is the wreckage of a downed Saudi fighter jet at an undisclosed location presumed to be in Yemen. / Reuters-Yonhap

Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi rebels claimed to have shot down a Saudi Arabian Air Force F-15 fighter jet and released video footage of wreckage at the site, CNN and BBC reported on the 17th (local time).

Concerns are growing that Saudi Arabia could be drawn into a wider escalation as the dispute between the U.S. and Iran drags on.

In a statement, the Houthis claimed that they intercepted the U.S.-made F-15 fighter jet conducting operations over the skies of Marib Province in west-central Yemen using a locally produced surface-to-air missile.

Footage released the previous day captured the moment an aircraft was struck, alongside rebel fighters inspecting the wreckage of a jet tailfin marked with the Saudi national flag insignia and serial number 5539.

The fate of the two crew members aboard remains unconfirmed.

CNN and the BBC verified the crash site shown in the video as an area in Marib, Yemen.

Military experts assessed that the markings on the wreckage match the F-15SA, the latest variant operated by the Royal Saudi Air Force.

Clashes between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels have expanded across all fronts in recent days.

Widening their control within Yemen, the Houthis have seized cities and islands near alternative maritime export routes for Saudi crude oil while stepping up offensives targeting the Saudi mainland.

Saudi Arabia is responding in kind with retaliatory airstrikes.

The Saudi government stated that its recent operations were conducted in retaliation against Houthi drone attacks targeting the holy city of Mecca.

In a statement, the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the strikes aimed at the Islamic holy site, noting that Saudi air defense systems intercepted and destroyed the drones before they could enter restricted airspace.

The Houthis rejected allegations that they targeted the holy site, countering that their strikes were aimed at military bases and oil facilities.

                                                                                                           Lee Jeong-eun