Manama: Saudi sources have dismissed claims that Al Houthi militiamen have shot down a Saudi fighter in Yemen and recovered two missiles.
“The claims lack credibility and are not at all true,” the sources said.
“What the Yemenis saw was merely a disposable external fuel tank that the plane released by the plane on its way back to the base. It is a routine action that the pilot did on the way back,” the sources told local news site Sabq on Sunday.
According to Yemeni media, a Saudi F-16 fighter was shot down near the capital Sana’a.
“Saudi F16 jet shot down in Bani Hareth, Sana’a. Pilot missing, Al Houthis seize TWO unused missiles,” a local site posted on its Twitter account
Online media also posted pictures of fuel tank that belongs to the Royal Saudi Air Force and a plane on fire.
However, bloggers said that the tank was an F-15 External Fuel Tank and was not part of an F-16.
Other bloggers said that Saudi Arabia did not have any F-16s and that its fleet of combat aircraft consisted of Panavia Tornados, F-15s and Euro Typhoons.
