“Two US Navy pilots flying F/A-18 fighter jets attacking Yemen’s Houthis were shot down by “friendly fire” over the Red Sea on Sunday.”, — write: www.ukrinform.ua
According to the US military, both pilots were found alive after ejecting from the downed plane, one of them received minor injuries.
According to US Central Command, an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet took off from the deck of the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman. It was mistakenly fired upon and hit by the USS Gettysburg missile cruiser, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier strike group.
It is not yet clear how the Gettysburg could have mistaken the F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft or missile, especially given that the ships in the battle group remain linked to the fighters by both radar and radio communication, the publication writes .
The Central Command reported that earlier warships and aircraft shot down several drones and an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the Yemeni Houthis.
On December 15, US Central Command acknowledged that Truman had arrived in the Middle East, but did not specify that the aircraft carrier and its battle group were in the Red Sea. After Truman’s arrival, the United States intensified its airstrikes against the Houthis and increased missile attacks on the Red Sea and surrounding areas.
On Saturday night and early Sunday morning, US warplanes also carried out airstrikes that hit Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, which the Houthis have held since 2014. Central Command added that the strikes targeted a “missile depot” and a “command and control post,” without elaborating.
Houthi-controlled media reported strikes in Sana’a and around the port city of Hodeidah, but did not provide any information on casualties or damage.
Read also: Yemeni a housiteand launched a rocket attack on Tel Aviv, 16 injured As reported by Ukrinform, the Yemeni Houthis attacked Tel Aviv with a rocket on Saturday, December 21, as a result of which 16 people were injured.