SANAA, Yemen, — Yemen’s Houthi movement has released infrared footage claiming to show a missile detonating near a Royal Saudi Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon over Saada Governorate in northern Yemen on the night of October 14.
Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the aircraft had taken off from Taif Air Base in western Saudi Arabia before being targeted over Saada, near the Saudi border. He claimed the engagement put the fighter at risk of crashing.
The footage circulated by Houthi-affiliated media shows an explosion near an aircraft whose silhouette appears consistent with a Typhoon, followed by a plume around its starboard wing. The video also appears to show the pilot manoeuvring and releasing flares. A separate video reportedly shows a missile launch from the ground followed by an aerial explosion.
Houthi statements have described the weapon as both an air-to-air missile and a surface-to-air missile. Its type remains unconfirmed, although open-source reporting has mentioned possible Iranian-supplied Barq-1 or Barq-2 missiles and an older Soviet-origin design. The footage does not establish whether the missile directly struck the aircraft or detonated nearby.
Saudi authorities have not confirmed the interception. The pilot’s status, aircraft serial number, extent of damage, possible crash site and final outcome remain independently unverified.
Previous Aircraft Incidents and Regional Escalation
The claim follows a September 2026 Houthi announcement that its forces had shot down a Saudi F-15SA over Marib Governorate. The group later displayed wreckage that independent analysts reportedly identified as consistent with that aircraft type.
In a separate incident in mid-September, an Italian Air Force Eurofighter was damaged on the ground at King Fahd Air Base near Taif during a Houthi attack. The Italian defence ministry confirmed that incident, which involved a parked aircraft rather than one engaged in flight.
The latest claim comes amid renewed fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces. Reported developments include a ballistic missile targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, damage to the roof of Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, and a Houthi missile attack on the Al-Maashiq Presidential Palace in Aden that reportedly killed five people and injured 16.
The supplied reports also describe attacks on five Saudi airports between October 5 and October 11, with 20 fatalities and hundreds of injuries, although these figures and the attribution of the attacks require independent verification.
Saudi-backed forces have responded with ground assaults alongside Royal Saudi Air Force airstrikes against Houthi positions.
As of October 16, 2026, the reported Typhoon engagement remains unconfirmed by Saudi authorities or independent sources. The released footage alone does not establish whether the aircraft sustained significant damage or was lost.
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