Houthi video shows missile damage to Saudi Typhoon over Yemen

Houthi-affiliated media has released infrared video of what it says is a surface-to-air missile attack on a Royal Saudi Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon. In the footage, the warhead detonates and damages the jet's wing.

The group also published ground-level video of the launch and detonation, filmed from nearby. The aircraft was targeted over the Saada Governorate in northwest Yemen, which is under Houthi control. The group holds roughly a third of Yemeni territory.

Saudi Arabia has not confirmed any details of the incident.

A Houthi spokesperson said the jet did not crash. The group would only know whether the aircraft came down close to territory it controls, not if it went down while flying back toward a Saudi airfield, the source noted. How badly the Typhoon was damaged is hard to judge from the infrared video alone. The pilot may only determine later whether an emergency landing or ejection is the safer option.

The missile did not appear to strike the jet directly. It detonated in proximity, likely damaging the aircraft with shrapnel. The most visible damage is to the starboard wing, particularly the wingtip, which begins trailing a plume on the infrared camera.

Houthi media described the engagement as a second fighter jet hit since the latest escalation of the Saudi-Yemen conflict. The weapon used has not been confirmed; the source said it could be an Iranian-supplied Barq 1 or Barq 2, or an older Soviet system.