SANAA/ADEN, Yemen/RIYADH – Yemen's Houthi group said Wednesday evening that it had shot down a Saudi armed reconnaissance drone in Yemen's northeastern Marib province and intercepted Saudi warplanes over Yemen's western coast.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement carried by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV on Wednesday evening that the group's forces had "a short while ago shot down an armed reconnaissance drone belonging to the Saudi enemy while it was carrying out hostile operations over Marib province, using an appropriate weapon."

In a related development, Sarea said the group's forces at 6:40 pm local time intercepted two formations of Saudi F-15 fighter jets that had taken off from the Khamis Mushait air base in southwestern Saudi Arabia and entered the airspace over Mocha in Yemen's southwestern Taiz province.

ALSO READ: Houthis say 2 killed in Saudi airstrike on bridge

Sarea said the interception was carried out with several locally manufactured surface-to-air missiles, forcing the fighter jets "to leave immediately before carrying out any hostile operation."

Earlier Wednesday, the Houthi group said it had shot down a Saudi F-15 fighter jet with a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile over Marib.

Houthis: Saudi warplanes launch 40 airstrikes across Yemen

The Houthis also accused Saudi Arabia earlier Wednesday of carrying out more than 450 airstrikes across seven Yemeni provinces over the past week.

Sarea said that Saudi warplanes carried out 40 airstrikes across three Yemeni provinces over the past 24 hours, as intensified air operations and cross-border attacks marked a further escalation in the conflict.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Sarea said F-15 fighter jets taking off from the Khamis Mushait air base carried out the strikes on Taiz, Marib and the northwestern province of Hajjah.

There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the Houthi claim or information on possible casualties or damage from the reported strikes.

The Houthis also said they had launched "dozens of ballistic missiles and drones" at Saudi Aramco facilities in the western Saudi city of Yanbu and several ballistic missiles at an air base in Khamis Mushait.

Sarea claimed the Yanbu attack caused large fires and extensive damage, while missiles targeting Khamis Mushait accurately hit their targets. Saudi authorities and Aramco have not commented on the claims.

Fighting ‘intensifies near Yemen's strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait’

Meanwhile, heavy fighting continued on Wednesday over the Kahbub mountain range in the southern province of Lahj, which overlooks the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, a Yemeni military official told Xinhua. Five government soldiers and 10 Houthi fighters were killed and several others on both sides wounded in the clashes, the official said.

ALSO READ: Yemeni govt forces say over 500 soldiers killed during Houthi west coast offensive

The Houthis have made major territorial gains along Yemen's Red Sea coast, capturing the strategic port city of Mocha on Sept 10 before seizing Mayun Island at the heart of the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Sept 11. The strait is a vital maritime chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

Yemen's conflict erupted in late 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government.

Saudi Arabia condemns Houthi drone launch toward Makkah

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday condemned the launch of a hostile drone by Yemen's Houthi group toward the western city of Makkah, according to a statement by the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

The attack targeting the city on Tuesday constituted a repetition of the group's practices of violating the sanctity of holy sites and provoking the sentiments of Muslims around the world, the ministry said in a statement.

The incident marked the second attempt to target Makkah, following a previous attempt on July 27, 2017, the statement read.

ALSO READ: Saudi-led coalition says downed Houthi drone headed for Mecca, Houthis deny

Saudi Arabia renewed its call on the international community to condemn such attacks and reaffirmed its right to take all necessary measures to defend its security, it added.

Houthi military spokesperson Sarea earlier rejected Saudi allegations that the Houthis had attempted to target Makkah, saying the group posed "no danger" to Islamic holy sites and that its cross-border operations targeted Saudi oil facilities and military bases.