US warplane shot down in Red Sea ‘friendly fire’ incident
A US Navy F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet was shot down over the Red Sea in what the US military has described as a “friendly fire” incident. Both crew members ejected safely, with one sustaining minor injuries, according to US Central Command.
The incident followed a series of US airstrikes targeting a missile storage facility and command centers in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, controlled by Iran-backed Houthi militants. US Central Command also reported strikes on multiple Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.
In a statement, US Central Command confirmed the friendly fire event, explaining that the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18, which had been operating from the USS Harry S Truman.
It remains unclear if the downed aircraft was involved in the earlier Yemen operation.
Central Command previously stated that the strikes in Sanaa were intended to “disrupt and degrade Houthi operations,” including attacks on US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and Gulf of Aden. The military added that “US Air Force and US Navy assets, including F/A-18s,” were used to destroy multiple Houthi one-way attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed rebel group that controls north-western Yemen, began attacking Israeli and international shipping shortly after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians.
Since November 2023, Houthi missile attacks have sunk two vessels in the Red Sea and damaged others. They have claimed, often falsely, that they are targeting ships only linked to Israel, the US or the UK.
Last December, the US, UK and 12 other nations launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect Red Sea shipping lanes against the attacks.
On Saturday, Israel’s military said its attempts to shoot down a projectile launched from Yemen were unsuccessful and the missile struck a park in Tel Aviv.
Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical service, said it treated 16 people who were “mildly injured” by glass shards from shattered windows in nearby buildings.
Another 14 people suffered minor injuries on their way to protected areas were also treated, it said.
A Houthi spokesman said the group hit a military target using a hypersonic ballistic missile.
Earlier this week, Israel conducted a series of strikes against what it said were Houthi military targets, hitting ports as well as energy infrastructure in the Yemeni capital Sanaa.
Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported that nine people were killed in the port of Salif and the Ras Issa oil terminal.
The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks until the war in Gaza ends. The US says its latest strike is part of a commitment to protect itself and its allies.
