US military says two Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in ‘friendly fire’ Houthis news
The US military says the incident was not the result of ‘hostile fire’, as Yemen’s Houthis claim their attack on the US carrier brought down the plane.
The US military says two United States Navy pilots have been shot down over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident.
Later on Sunday, Yemen’s Houthi fighters claimed they had “targeted” the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in an operation a day earlier that “resulted in the downing of an F-18 aircraft”.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) said both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their plane, which was attacked early Sunday, while one suffered minor injuries.
The incident “was not the result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway”, CENTCOM said, adding that the plane had flown off Truman’s deck.
The Houthis have repeatedly attacked ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, waterways vital to global trade. The group says its attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has been carrying out a massacre for more than a year, killing more than 45,000 people.
In a video statement, Houthi spokesman Yahya Sari said the group also launched eight drones and 17 cruise missiles in its attack.
However, CENTCOM said warships and aircraft had earlier shot down several Houthi drones and an antiship cruise missile launched by Yemeni rebels.
Netanyahu vows revenge against Houthis
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to retaliate against Houthi rebels after they fired missiles at Tel Aviv on Sunday, and warned that Israel would target what he called the last remaining “Iranian axis of evil.” The arm is described as.
The Houthis launched a ballistic missile attack on Israel’s commercial center on Saturday, wounding 16 people and forcing many to flee their homes after the early morning attack.
“Just as we took forceful action against the terrorist weapons of Iran’s axis of evil, we will take action against the Houthis with force, determination and sophistication,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.
Saturday’s attack on Tel Aviv was the second attack on Israel by the Houthis this week, and one of several since the war in Gaza began.
US and British forces have repeatedly attacked rebel positions in Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Israel has previously attacked the Houthis, including attacking ports and energy facilities, following rebel attacks against its territory.
Israel’s latest attack against the Houthi rebels came on Thursday, when Israeli warplanes struck Sanaa for the first time.
