Two US navy pilots shot down over Red Sea after American airstrikes on Yemen | EUROtoday

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Two US navy pilots had been shot down over the Red Sea on Sunday in an obvious “friendly fire” incident, the American navy mentioned.

They had been recovered alive, with one struggling minor accidents.

The incident underlines simply how harmful the Red Sea hall has turn into after a 12 months of assaults on transport by the Houthis, who rule a lot of Yemen, regardless of US and European militaries patrolling the world and, together with Israel, repeatedly bombing the Arab nation.

“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, which was flying off the USS Harry S Truman,” the US navy’s Central Command mentioned in an announcement.

The two-seat F/A-18 Super Hornet was assigned to “Red Rippers” of Strike Fighter Squadron 11 out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia. It was not instantly clear how the Gettysburg may have mistaken an F/A-18 for an enemy plane or missile on condition that ships in a battle group stay linked by each radar and radio communication.

The incident got here simply hours after American warplanes carried out airstrikes on Yemen, although the Central Command didn’t elaborate on what their mission was.

The airstrikes, in flip, got here after a Yemeni missile hit Tel Aviv in Israel and injured 16 individuals.

The Yemenis have focused almost 100 vessels with missiles and drones since Israel launched its struggle on Gaza final 12 months saying they search to discourage Israeli aggression towards the Palestinians. They have additionally fired drones and missiles at Israel.

The Yemenis preserve that they aim ships linked to Israel and its key allies, the US and the UK, to power an finish to the Israeli struggle. However, most of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the battle, together with some certain for Iran.

Israel launched a floor and air assault on Gaza in October 2023 after a Hamas assault killed almost 1,139 Israelis and noticed about 250 taken hostage.

Israel’s struggle on Gaza has killed over 45,000 Palestinians thus far, in accordance with native well being officers.

The Yemenis have seized one vessel and sunk two in a marketing campaign that has additionally killed 4 sailors. Some missiles and drones have both been intercepted by separate US and European coalitions within the Red Sea or failed to succeed in their targets, which have additionally included Western navy vessels.