US navy shoots down own plane as fresh strikes target Houthi rebels in Yemen

Two US Navy pilots ejected from their jet fighter over the Red Sea after being caught in ‘an apparent case of friendly-fire,’ as American forces conducted a new round of attacks against the Houthi militant group.

An F/A-18E Super Hornet launching from the flight deck of a US aircraft carrier in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Picture; AFP.

Two US Navy pilots ejected from their jet fighter over the Red Sea after being caught in “an apparent case of friendly-fire,” US Central Command said Sunday, as American forces conducted a new round of attacks against the Houthi militant group in Yemen overnight.

The military said the two pilots safely ejected from their F/A-18 after it was hit by fire from the guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg. The jet fighter had flown off the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and both ships are part of the same strike group. One of the crew members sustained minor injuries and an investigation is under way, the military said.

The incident came as US Central Command said its forces had conducted air strikes against a missile storage facility and a command and control facility operated by the Houthis in Yemen. It wasn’t immediately clear if the friendly-fire incident and the US attack on Houthi targets are connected.

Friendly-fire incidents have occurred before, including the killing of five US troops in southern Afghanistan in 2014, one of the deadliest of such episodes for US forces in the country. In one of the best-known incidents in Afghanistan, Army Cpl. Pat Tillman, a professional football player turned soldier, was shot to death by fellow troops during an operation in 2004.

The jet fighter had flown off the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier. Picture: US Navy.

The Iranian-backed Houthis control much of northwestern Yemen. They have snarled international trade by attacking cargo ships passing through one of the world’s most important trade routes, in what the group describes as a campaign of support for Palestinian militants fighting Israel in Gaza.

Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, a Houthi official, condemned the US strikes. “These American terrorist attacks further confirm the lawlessness and criminal actions being carried out in the region,” he said on X. “Such reckless terrorist actions against Yemen will not stop the support for Gaza.” The Houthis have also stepped up attacks on Israel in recent days, twice firing ballistic missiles into the country last week, including Tel Aviv. The Houthis have launched over 200 missiles and 170 drones against Israel since the start of the current war in Gaza, according to Israel’s military.

In response, the US, Israel and other allied forces have repeatedly targeted the Houthis over the past year. “The strike reflects CENTCOM’s ongoing commitment to protect US and coalition personnel, regional partners, and international shipping,” the military said.

US forces, which included the Navy F/A-18 jet fighters, shot down multiple Houthi UAV’s and an antiship cruise missile over the Red Sea, the military said.

Following a missile attack on Israel on Thursday, the Israeli military responded with an aerial assault against targets in Houthi-controlled areas, including ports and energy infrastructure.

Dow Jones