Houthis Say They Downed a Saudi Fighter Jet and Deny Targeting Mecca

BREAKING: The Houthis claim they shot down a Saudi fighter jet over Yemen, hours after a Saudi-led coalition accused the group of firing a drone near the Muslim holy city of Mecca.

The Houthis say they've shot down a Saudi fighter jet over Yemen.

The claim landed just hours after the Saudi-led coalition accused the group of something far more explosive, firing a drone toward Mecca. Riyadh says its air defences intercepted it south of the holy city. The Houthis flatly deny they ever aimed anything at Mecca, and they're calling the accusation an attempt to turn the Muslim world against them.

And that's the real battle here. Mecca isn't just a city, it's the holiest site in Islam, and millions of pilgrims pass through it. You can see the Grand Mosque here, packed during hajj. Any suggestion of a weapon pointed that way is radioactive for whoever gets the blame.

So we have two claims and no independent confirmation of either. No wreckage shown, no drone debris presented. What's certain is that both sides are now fighting for the story as hard as the sky.

This is Sara White, reporting for HIT.