1 US warplane hit by ‘friendly fire’ in the Red Sea
The US military announced that an American warplane was shot down over the Red Sea as a result of “friendly fire”.
According to US Central Command, both crew members on the US Navy F/A-18 Hornet aircraft ejected safely, while one crew member suffered minor injuries.
The incident occurred after a series of airstrikes by the United States on a missile storage facility and command center controlled by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
US Central Command announced that it also shot down several Houthi UAVs and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.
US Central Command reported that there was a “friendly fire” incident over the Red Sea and said:
The statement said, “The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, affiliated with the USS Harry S Truman Aircraft Carrier Strike Group, accidentally opened fire on the F/A-18 taking off from the USS Harry S Truman and hit it.”
It is not yet known whether the downed plane participated in the Yemen operation.
Central Command had previously stated that the attacks on targets in Sanaa were aimed at “disrupting and weakening Houthi operations, such as attacks on US Navy warships and merchant ships in the Southern Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb, and the Gulf of Aden.”
The US military also said it shot down “multiple Houthi one-way attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea” using “US Air Force and US Navy assets, including F/A-18s.”
The Houthis, the Iran-backed rebel group that controls Yemen’s northwest, began attacking Israeli and international shipping shortly after the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, saying they stood in solidarity with the Palestinians.
Since November 2023, Houthi missile attacks have sunk two ships and damaged others in the Red Sea. They claimed, often falsely, that they were only targeting ships associated with Israel, the US or the UK.
Last December, the United States, Britain and 12 countries launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect shipping lanes in the Red Sea from attack.
The Israeli military said on Saturday that attempts to shoot down a missile launched from Yemen were unsuccessful and that the missile hit a park in Tel Aviv.
Israeli Emergency Medical Services Unit Magen David Adom reported that 16 people were treated for “mild injuries” caused by glass shards from broken windows of nearby buildings.
It was stated that 14 people who were slightly injured while being taken to protected areas were treated.
A Houthi spokesman said the group hit a military target using a hypersonic ballistic missile.
Earlier this week, Israel carried out a series of attacks on what it claimed were Houthi military targets, hitting ports as well as energy infrastructure in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.
Houthi-controlled Al Masirah television reported that nine people were killed in Salif port and Ras Isa oil terminal.
The Houthis have vowed to continue their offensive until the war in Gaza ends. The United States says its latest attack is part of its commitment to protect itself and its allies.