Houthis Claim Attack on US Aircraft Carrier and Downing of Fighter Jet
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Aden, Dec 23 (NationPress) The Houthi faction of Yemen has declared that it launched an assault on a US aircraft carrier utilizing eight cruise missiles and 17 drones, successfully downing a US fighter jet.
According to Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea, the operation targeted the USS Harry S. Truman and its accompanying vessels, effectively countering a combined US-British offensive against Yemen, as reported by Houthi-operated al-Masirah TV.
“Our forces managed to shoot down an American F/A-18 fighter jet during our operation as it tried to intercept our missiles and drones,” Sarea stated.
Earlier on Sunday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that two US Navy pilots safely ejected after their fighter jet was downed over the Red Sea in what appeared to be a case of ‘friendly fire’, according to Xinhua news agency.
CENTCOM elaborated that the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, inadvertently fired upon and struck the F/A-18.
This incident coincided with US airstrikes targeting a missile storage site and a command-and-control facility allegedly controlled by the Houthis in Sanaa, as well as the interception of multiple Houthi one-way attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea, according to a separate CENTCOM statement.
Previously, the US-British naval coalition had initiated a new airstrike against a Houthi position in Yemen's Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, as reported by local media.
The strike was aimed at a location in the Al-Luhayyah region of Hodeidah, although further details or casualty reports were not provided.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have escalated rocket and drone strikes targeting Israeli cities and disrupting shipping associated with Israel in the Red Sea.
In retaliation, the US-led naval coalition stationed in the region has been conducting regular air raids on Houthi positions since January, aiming to deter the armed group.
Last week, Houthi military representatives accused US and British aircraft of launching “a new aggression” against targets in Hodeidah, a key province in western Yemen along the Red Sea coastline.
Reports indicated that allied forces targeted the At-Tuhayta district in southern Hodeidah, though specific details regarding the airstrikes were not immediately available.
