U.S. jet downed by friendly fire over Red Sea crisis zone
A U.S. Navy plane was hit over the Red Sea, likely due to "friendly fire," forcing two pilots to eject, reports the Associated Press.
"The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18," the American military reported, as quoted by AP.
Both pilots were found alive, with one of them sustaining minor injuries. The American agency described this as "the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels." "The shootdown underlines just how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become over the ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis despite U.S. and European military coalitions patrolling the area," it added.
Attacks in Yemen
The American air force conducted precise attacks on Saturday on military targets in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, belonging to the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. According to the U.S. Central Command in the Middle East (CENTCOM), the targets included a missile stockpile and a command post for the rebel forces that coordinated the shelling of American warships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
U.S. forces also neutralized several combat drones and an anti-ship missile over the Red Sea. Following the escalation of warfare in the Gaza Strip in the fall of 2023, the Houthis began attacking ships passing through the Red Sea and Israeli territory, declaring these acts as solidarity with the Palestinian Hamas.
