US shoots down own plane over Red Sea in ‘friendly fire’ incident

Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down by the U.S. military in an apparent “friendly fire” incident on Sunday as troops continue to battle Yemen’s Houthi rebels, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

Both pilots ejected from their aircraft and were recovered alive, with one sustaining minor injuries, The Associated Press reported.

CENTCOM said in a press release Saturday that U.S. forces were conducting strikes against a storage facility containing missiles operated by the Houthis, which are backed by Iran.

The strikes were “deliberate” and meant to “disrupt and degrade” the Houthis’ operations, including attacks against the U.S. Navy.

Forces shot down multiple Houthi “one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles” and an “anti-ship cruise missile” over the Red Sea.

The U.S. F/A-18 that was shot down had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, the AP reported.

Last week, Central Command said the Truman ship had entered the Mideast, but did not specify its location.

It did not note it was in the Red Sea, which has seen heightened activity since the start of the Israel-Hamas war and the ongoing conflict that’s impacted the larger region for much of the last year.

The friendly fire incident underscores how dangerous the Red Sea has become amid the ongoing attacks, the AP noted.