US says 2 Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident
Two US Navy pilots were shot dead in an apparent “friendly fire” incident over the Red Sea on Sunday, the US military said, marking the first time in more than a year that US troops have been targeted by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. This is the most serious incident of bullying.
Both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their crashed aircraft, while one suffered minor injuries. But the shooting underlines how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become due to ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis despite US and European military coalition patrols in the area.
The U.S. military carried out airstrikes at the time targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels, though U.S. Army Central Command did not say what their mission was and did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press.
The downed F/A-18 had just flown off the deck USS Harry S Truman The aircraft carrier, Central Command said. On December 15, the Central Command accepted Truman Middle East, but did not specify that the carrier and her battle group were in the Red Sea.
“Guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburgwhich is part of USS Harry S Truman “The carrier strike group accidentally fired at and attacked the F/A-18,” Central Command said in a statement.
According to Army details, the aircraft shot down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to the “Red Reapers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.
It was not immediately clear how he Gettysburg F/A-18s may be mistaken for enemy aircraft or missiles, especially when ships in the battle group are linked by both radar and radio communications.
However, the Central Command said warships and aircraft had earlier shot down several Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. In the past, incoming hostile fire from the Houthis has given sailors only a few seconds to make a decision.
Since then TrumanFollowing the arrival of the US, the US has intensified its airstrikes targeting the Houthis and their missiles in the Red Sea and the surrounding region. However, the presence of the US battleship group could lead to renewed attacks from the rebels USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Saw earlier this year. The Navy described that deployment as its most intense combat since World War II.
On Saturday night and Sunday morning, US warplanes carried out airstrikes that shook Yemen’s capital Sanaa, which the Houthis have held since 2014. Central Command described the attacks as targeting a “missile storage facility” and a “command-and-control facility”. “Without going into detail.
Houthi-controlled media reported attacks around Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida, without reporting any casualties or damage. In Sanaa, the attacks specifically targeted a mountainous area believed to be home to military installations. The Houthis did not admit to shooting down the plane in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have targeted nearly 100 merchant ships with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war began in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing 1,200 and injuring 250 others. Was taken hostage.
Local health officials say more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s massive offensive in Gaza. This tally does not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
The Houthis have seized one ship and sunk two in one operation, also killing four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by separate US and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets, including Western military ships.
The rebels say they target ships belonging to Israel, the United States or the United Kingdom to end Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, with some bound for Iran.
The Houthis have also increasingly targeted Israel with drones and missiles, resulting in retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.