A Moroccan F-16 warplane from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen was shot down while on a mission, according to a Saudi military spokesperson, one day before an intended five-day humanitarian ceasefire was set to commence.
Houthi militia rebels have issued a statement claiming that they were behind the attack.
Morocco's military's statements about the incident were quite brief however, only stating that the jet had gone missing at around 18:00 local time last Sunday, according to The Guardian.
The loss of the military jet, as well as the claims issued by the Shia rebels, can put the five-day humanitarian truce in jeopardy. The humanitarian truce is set to begin early on Tuesday.
Residents of the area expressed apprehension about the state of affairs in the country, as Saudi-led air strikes targeted military bases and weapons stores in Sanaa, the Houthi controlled capital. Civilians reported huge blasts and seeing rockets being launched into the air before crashing back down, Reuters reported.
Ahmen Fawaz, a resident of Sanaa, describes the harrowing experience in a statement.
"The violent explosions can be heard from anywhere in the city and we feel they could land on our heads. We're living a life of terror," he said.
An online news site with close ties to the royal palace and security intelligence agencies in Morocco states that the downed F-16 fighter jet was one of two warplanes that were dispatched for a reconnaissance mission over the Yemeni side of the border with Saudi Arabia, according to The Guardian.
Al-Masirah, the official news channel of the Houthi rebels, reports that the F-16 was brought down by anti-aircraft guns in the northwestern province of Saada, according to Reuters. Saada is known to be a Houthi stronghold bordering Saudi Arabia.
The press release showed a number of gun-toting Houthi rebels on a hillside pumping their fists and chanting "Death to America!"
One of the rebels, holding a piece that looked like a part of the wreckage, stated that the downing of the F-16 could be attributed not just to their efforts, but to divine intervention as well.
"God felled this plane. Even though our weapons are basic and modest, we'll shoot down all their planes, God willing," he said.
