Gizem Nisa Cebi
22 December 2024•Update: 22 December 2024
ISTANBUL
Two US Navy pilots ejected safely after their F/A-18 fighter jet was downed above the Red Sea in what the US military suspects Sunday was a "friendly fire" incident.
The pilots were recovered, with one sustaining minor injuries, according to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM).
"The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18," said CENTCOM.
The jet had been operating from the Truman aircraft carrier.
The incident occurred amid escalating tensions in the region. Earlier Saturday, CENTCOM carried out precision airstrikes in Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen, targeting a missile storage facility and a command-and-control center.
The actions were in response to "ongoing Houthi attacks on US Navy warships and commercial vessels in the Southern Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait," according to CENTCOM.
US forces intercepted multiple Houthi attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile above the Red Sea.
The US military is investigating the incident and monitoring escalating threats in the region.
The developments came hours after a rocket launched from Yemen struck an area in Tel Aviv, injuring at least 16 people.
The Houthi group claimed responsibility, stating on Telegram that it had targeted a military site with a hypersonic ballistic missile.
