Houthis claim shootdown of Saudi Eurofighter Typhoon sold by Britain

Houthi-affiliated media released video appearing to show a jet engulfed in flames after a projectile streaked toward it, according to reports. The rebels claim the aircraft was one of Saudi Arabia's Eurofighter Typhoons, a type supplied by Britain. If verified, it would mark a rare combat loss of the fighter to an Iranian-supplied air defence system.

Britain has sold the Typhoon to Riyadh under a decades-long arms relationship. That includes 72 jets delivered through an arrangement called Project Salam, a name meaning peace in Arabic, which was reported to be worth £4.43bn. London has long described Saudi Arabia as an important strategic ally in the Middle East.

Steven Wagner, a senior lecturer in international security at Brunel University of London, said the aircraft in the footage did appear to be a Eurofighter Typhoon but said he did not see a direct or catastrophic hit. He noted the pilot used manoeuvres and flares to evade, and said the weapon was likely a standard Iranian mobile system. Wagner added the key question was how long it had been deployed and whether it arrived before or after the blockade.

Mobile surface-to-air missile systems can ambush fourth-generation jets like the Typhoon because they switch on moments before firing and reposition quickly, Wagner explained, since leaving radar active would draw Saudi radar-seeking missiles. Stealthier aircraft such as the F-35 would be somewhat safer, though not entirely immune. The effect pushes Saudi jets farther from their targets, but he cautioned against drawing broad conclusions from a single loss, saying both sides would adapt.

In a sharp escalation, the Houthis struck the seat of Yemen's internationally recognised government for the first time, firing five missiles at the al-Maashiq presidential palace in the southern port city of Aden. Two security guards were killed, the government said, while all cabinet members including the prime minister were unharmed in what officials called an assassination attempt. Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree declared most Saudi airspace and airports unsafe on Thursday, with the exception of airspace over Mecca and Madina.

The Saudi-led coalition's spokesman, Maj Gen Turki al-Maliki, said the Houthis had become the first terrorist group to possess ballistic missiles, attack drones and explosive-laden speedboats, with technology obtained with regional assistance. He said attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid international airport had killed 17 people and wounded 333 between Oct 7 and 11, and that the airport had been hit 20 times since Oct 1. Saudi-backed forces reported 1,250 attacks on the Houthis in 24 hours under their Dawn of Yemen campaign, while pro-government units said they were securing Dhubab airport alongside the Southern Giants Brigades. Aid group Islamic Relief warned cholera cases in southern Yemen have tripled in three weeks, with 200,000 people pushed into overcrowded and polluted camps.