US Navy Fighter Jet Downed by Accidental Fire over the Red Sea
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Aden, Dec 22 (NationPress) Two US Navy pilots successfully ejected from their aircraft after their fighter jet was downed on Sunday over the Red Sea in what appears to be an incident of friendly fire, according to the US military.
The USS Gettysburg, a guided-missile cruiser that is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, unintentionally fired upon and struck the F/A-18, as stated by US Central Command (CENTCOM).
Both pilots were rescued safely after ejecting from their damaged jet, with one sustaining minor injuries, as per the statement.
This incident of apparent friendly fire coincided with US forces carrying out airstrikes on a missile storage facility and a command-and-control installation allegedly operated by the Houthi group within Sanaa, Yemen.
CENTCOM indicated that the airstrikes were aimed at disrupting and diminishing Houthi operations, including attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden.
The US military also intercepted several Houthi one-way attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea, according to reports by the Xinhua news agency.
These military actions were executed shortly after the Houthis claimed a ballistic missile attack on central Israel, which resulted in injuries to at least 20 individuals in Tel Aviv.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have actively engaged in rocket and drone assaults on Israeli cities and have disrupted shipping linked to Israel in the Red Sea.
In retaliation, the US-led naval coalition in the region has been conducting routine airstrikes against Houthi targets since January, aiming to deter the militant group.
Last week, Houthi military officials announced that US and British aircraft had launched a new aggression against targets in Hodeida, a strategic province along the Red Sea coast in western Yemen.
They claimed that the allied forces targeted the At-Tuhayta district in southern Hodeidah, although specific details regarding the airstrikes were not immediately available.
