Two Americans Navy The pilot In an apparent “friendly fire” incident over the Red Sea on Sunday, the US was shot down. military He said it was the most serious incident of threats against US troops in more than a year. Yemen's Houthi rebels..
Both pilots were ejected from their damaged aircraft alive, one with minor injuries. But the shootdown underscores just how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become, with continued attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis despite US and European military coalition patrols in the area.
The U.S. military launched airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels during the friendly fire incident, although the U.S. military's Central The command did not specify what the pilots' mission was or respond to questions from The Associated Press.
Central Command said the F/A-18 was shot down as it took off from the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. On 15 December, Central Command acknowledged that Truman had entered the Middle East, but did not specify that the carrier and its battle group were in the Red Sea.
“The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, mistakenly fired at an F/A-18 and hit it,” Central Command said in a statement.
According to the military, the downed aircraft was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet assigned to the “Red Reapers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.
It was not immediately clear how Gettysburg could mistake an F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, especially when the battle group's aircraft remain connected by both radar and radio communications.
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However, the Central Command said warships and aircraft had earlier shot down several Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the rebels. Hostile fire from the Houthis has given sailors mere seconds to make decisions in the past.
Since Truman's arrival, the United States has increased its airstrikes targeting the Houthis and firing their missiles into the Red Sea and surrounding areas. However, the presence of a U.S. battleship group can spark new insurgent attacks, as the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower saw earlier this year. The deployment was marked as described by the Navy. It is the most intense battle since World War II..
On Saturday night and early Sunday morning, US warplanes launched airstrikes that shook Yemen's capital, Sanaa, which the Houthis have held since 2014. The Central Command described the attacks as targeting a “missile storage facility” and a “command and control facility”. “Without elaboration.
Houthi-controlled media reported attacks around Sana'a and the port city of Hodeidah, without reporting any casualties or damage. In Sana'a, the attacks specifically targeted a mountainous area that is home to military installations. However, no images or information were released regarding the attacks – which has happened before when airstrikes have been carried out on key insurgent installations.
Brigadier General Yahya Sari, a Houthi army spokesman, released a pre-recorded statement hours later in which he claimed that the rebels had fired eight drones and 17 cruise missiles in their attack. He also claimed without providing any evidence that the Houthis shot down the F/A-18, possibly in keeping with his style of making exaggerated claims. During Eisenhower's deployment, he repeatedly falsely claimed that the carrier had been hit by Houthi fire.
The Houthis have targeted nearly 100 commercial ships with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023, when a surprise Hamas attack on Israel killed 1,200 people and took 250 hostages. .
Local health officials say more than 45,000 Palestinians have died in Israel's heinous operation in Gaza. The numbers do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.
The Houthis have. A boat was seized And Two drowned in one campaign. In which four sailors have also been killed. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by separate US- and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea or have failed to reach their targets. including Western military ships.
The rebels say they target ships linked to Israel, the US or Britain to force an end to Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, some of which are bound for Iran.
The Houthis themselves have targeted Israel with drones and missiles as a result Retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would take “coercive” action against the Houthis, as it has done against Iran's other allies, “only in this case, we don't act alone.” have been.”
and copy 2024 Canadian Press