6 hours ago
3
ARTICLE AD BOX
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Two U.S. Navy pilots were changeable down Sunday implicit the Red Sea successful an evident “friendly fire” incident, the U.S subject said, marking the astir superior incidental to endanger troops successful implicit a twelvemonth of America targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels.
Both pilots - who were connected the aforesaid level - were recovered live aft ejecting from the stricken aircraft, with 1 suffering insignificant injuries. But the shootdown underlines conscionable however unsafe the Red Sea corridor has become, with ongoing attacks connected shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis contempt U.S. and European subject coalitions patrolling the area.
The U.S. subject had conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels astatine the clip of the affable occurrence incident, though the U.S. military’s Central Command did not elaborate connected what the pilots' ngo was and did not respond to questions from The Associated Press.
The F/A-18 changeable down had conscionable flown disconnected the platform of the USS Harry S. Truman craft carrier, Central Command said. On Dec. 15, Central Command acknowledged the Truman had entered the Mideast, but hadn't specified that the bearer and its conflict radical was successful the Red Sea.
“The guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is portion of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired connected and deed the F/A-18,” Central Command said successful a statement.
From the military's description, the craft changeable down was a two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet combatant pitchy assigned to the “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 retired of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.
It wasn't instantly wide however the Gettysburg could mistake an F/A-18 for an force craft oregon missile, peculiarly arsenic ships successful a conflict radical stay linked by some radar and vigor communication.
However, Central Command said that warships and craft earlier changeable down aggregate Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise rocket launched by the rebels. Incoming hostile occurrence from the Houthis has fixed sailors conscionable seconds to marque decisions successful the past.
Since the Truman's arrival, the U.S. has stepped up its airstrikes targeting the Houthis and their rocket occurrence into the Red Sea and the surrounding area. However, the beingness of an American warship radical whitethorn spark renewed attacks from the rebels, similar what the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower saw earlier this year. That deployment marked what the Navy described arsenic its astir aggravated combat since World War II.
On Saturday nighttime and aboriginal Sunday, U.S. warplanes conducted airstrikes that shook Sanaa, the superior of Yemen which the Houthis person held since 2014. Central Command described the strikes arsenic targeting a “missile retention facility” and a “command-and-control facility,” without elaborating.
Houthi-controlled media reported strikes successful some Sanaa and astir the larboard metropolis of Hodeida, without offering immoderate casualty oregon harm information. In Sanaa, strikes appeared peculiarly targeted astatine a mountainside known to beryllium location to subject installations. However, determination were nary images oregon accusation released regarding the strikes — which has happened antecedently erstwhile airstrikes deed captious facilities for the rebels.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi subject spokesman, released a prerecorded connection hours aboriginal successful which helium claimed the rebels launched 8 drones and 17 cruise missiles successful their attack. He besides claimed without offering immoderate grounds that the Houthis changeable down the F/A-18, apt pursuing a signifier of him making exaggerated claims. During the Eisenhower's deployment, helium repeatedly falsely claimed the bearer had been struck by Houthi fire.
The Houthis person targeted astir 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the Israel-Hamas warfare successful the Gaza Strip started successful October 2023 aft Hamas’ astonishment onslaught connected Israel that killed 1,200 radical and saw 250 others taken hostage.
Israel’s grinding violative successful Gaza has killed much than 45,000 Palestinians, section wellness officials say. The tally doesn’t separate betwixt combatants and civilians.
The Houthis person seized 1 vas and sunk 2 successful a run that has besides killed 4 sailors. Other missiles and drones person either been intercepted by abstracted U.S.- and European-led coalitions successful the Red Sea oregon failed to scope their targets, which person besides included Western subject vessels.
The rebels support that they people ships linked to Israel, the U.S. oregon the United Kingdom to unit an extremity to Israel’s run against Hamas successful Gaza. However, galore of the ships attacked person small oregon nary transportation to the conflict, including immoderate bound for Iran.
The Houthis besides person progressively targeted Israel itself with drones and missiles, resulting successful retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his state would enactment “forcefully” against the Houthis, arsenic it has against different allies of Iran, “only successful this case, we are not acting alone.”
