Two US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in 'friendly fire' incident

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·1-min read
A fighter jet lands on aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea in June 2024.

Two US Navy pilots were recovered alive after their aircraft was shot down over the Red Sea early on Sunday in what the US military described as "an apparent case of friendly fire". The military earlier said it struck Houthi targets in Yemen, hours after the Iran-backed militia fired a missile at Israel's commercial hub Tel Aviv.

Two US Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, the US military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels.

Both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their stricken aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries. But the shootdown underlines just how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become over the ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis despite US and European military coalitions patrolling the area.

The US military had conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels at the time, though the US military’s Central Command did not elaborate on what their mission was and did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press.

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The F/A-18 shot down had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, Central Command said. On Dec. 15, Central Command acknowledged the Truman had entered the Mideast, but hadn't specified that the carrier and its battle group was in the Red Sea.

(AP)


Read more on FRANCE 24 English

Read also:
Yemen's Houthis claim Israel attack after 'projectile' lands in Tel Aviv area
Israel launches deadly strikes on Yemen after intercepting Houthi missile

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