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Yemen will “in due course” reveal the fate of the two Saudi pilots whose Tornado fighter jet was downed by the Houthis over the Sa’ada province in earlier February.
Houthi politburo member Mohammed al-Bukhaiti revealed in an interview with London-based al-Mayadeen TV that the Saudi air force had tried to eliminate the two pilots after their aircraft was shot down on February 14th.
“The Saudis intended to kill the pilots with their airstrikes on the wreckage of the downed fighter jet,” he said.
“Saudi fighters targeted every movement in the area where the aircraft had been shot down, which resulted in the martyrdom of dozens of Yemeni civilians,” Bukhaiti added.
The Saudi Arabian state news agency, SPA, reported that the Kingdom had carried out a special operation to evacuate the pilots who allegedly survived the incident, but there’s been no other information since.
As of latest information, from February 16th, the two pilots were missing.
The missile that downed the fighter jet is a part of a new defense system made locally and that was its first test, Al-Masirah TV reported.
The Houthis said coalition warplanes launched several strikes on the area where the plane went down, and the United Nations reported 31 civilians were killed.
On February 23rd, Yemen’s armed forces unveiled four domestically-built long-range, surface-to-air missile defense systems in what is seen as a game changer in the war.
Head of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council and commander-in-chief of the Houthi armed forces Mahdi al-Mashat identified the systems as Fater-1 (Innovator-1), Thaqib-1 (Piercer-1), Thaqib-2 and Thaqib-3. The systems have entered service following successful tests, he said.
“The new defense systems will change the course of the battle against the coalition of aggression, and pave the ground for the introduction of more sophisticated systems in order to engage enemy targets,” Mashat said.
Bukhaiti also mentioned the new system, saying that every time new military equipment was tested, it was advertised to promote the Yemeni progress.
“Each time we have tested a new system, we have announced it in order to highlight Yemen’s defensive capabilities in deterring the enemy.”
Back in January 2018, Yemen’s missile defense units shot down a Tornado and a US-made F-15 belonging to the so-called Saudi-led coalition. The Yemeni forces have also shot down numerous combat and surveillance drones as well as a number of helicopters so far.
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The headline seems off. It appears the Saudis tried to eliminate the pilots but the operation to capture and bring them in alive was successful.
The Saudis are absolute savages and scum, these pilots are mercenaries and now have no value for them after being captured. They are singing like canaries. The Saudis are corrupt and cheap thugs, over 200 Colombian drug dealer mercenaries were killed in the early stages and Saudis refused to pay them and executed the ones that wanted their money and go home. There is is lesson for all mercenaries DO NOT GET INVOLVED WITH SAUDI OR EMIRATI SCUM!
I didn’t know the Houthis had a “politburo”, are they communist?
Ansarallah is a political movement, so naturally they have a political office or as SF says, a political bureau. They are not communists, always were against it. Ironically when there was 2 Yemens, Saudi Arabia backed them against the south.
“Politburo” is the term for a political bureau in USSR, I found bizarre this term used in an English article without quotes. Политбюро́ (Politbjuró)
All Shia are into social justice and are socialists at heart.
This doesnt make any sense. Saudis wouldnt be attempting to kill surviving pilots by striking the plane’s wreckage. If the crew bailed, they wouldnt be anywhere near the crash site.
Pilots receive instructions and documents which may remain in cockpit if the pilot bails. Also the plane (even the old ones) have technologies that they don’t want to be known, so they destroy the wreckage. The report says they bombed anything that moved in the vicinity of crash site. There’s no logical reason to do it especially after they bombed the wreckage, unless they intend to prevent their pilot(s) being captured alive.
There must be a reason they don’t want their pilots being revealed.
‘Their’ pilots? Heh… I would put good money on them being British pilots. Imagine explaining that one to an angry public. But can’t rule out the possibility of American or Israeli pilots either. Israel is perfectly willing to kill their own soldiers if taken captive by the enemy. America? Hard to say. I think we would just make up some dumb-assed excuse or deny everything.
Agreed, even Pakistan Pilots, more likely ISISraHELLS coward Pilots
The Saudis are a bunch of Pussies, yo-! They can’t fight a like, These young lions in Yemen run eat grass or some type of weed that keeps them hyped up-! They have been giving the Homos in Arabia a new a-hole, not that they mind it the fags-!
According to Trumps’s pal Senator Lindsey Graham, “without US protection the Saudis would be speaking Farsi in a week” and “they can’t fight their way out of a paper bag”.
Saudis bombing the wreckage to spike anything sensitive which was inside the aircraft is logical. But there’s no reason why the crew would move towards the wreckage after bailing from the aircraft. Downed pilots move towards friendly areas or somewhere they can be rescued. A crash site in hostile territory is going to be swarming with hostiles. Why would the crew move towards such an obvious threat?
These pilots are mercenaries and were to be killed as not give away secrets and the poor condition of the Saudi losers airforce. In any case the F-15 that tried to kill them missed by a mile and ran away.
I think Houthi has been too kind! More missiles on Saudi-Wahabis-Scum to come …!
Saudisis rats.
Saudisis trash
did the houthi’s save the pilots? and get video of turkish jets trying to kill their own people? everything is speculation at this point
Hold on pal, you got the wrong war Turkey is not fighting Yemen, you mean the Saudi “GAY” Mafia
yeah my bad, saudi jets. got confused because turkey are getting battered too
The more saudi loses the more USA rubs it’s hands in glee as they get to sell saudi replacements
So does every MRAP producer in the world. MRAP = cars for fat people