2 U.S. Navy pilots eject safely after fighter jet shot down over Purple Sea by possible “pleasant fireplace,” officers say
Two U.S. Navy pilots have been shot down over the Purple Sea in an obvious “pleasant fireplace” incident, the U.S. army mentioned Sunday. Each pilots have been recovered alive, with one struggling minor accidents within the incident.
The incident got here because the U.S. army performed airstrikes focusing on Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, although the U.S. army’s Central Command didn’t elaborate on what their mission was on the time.
“The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is a part of the usHarry S. Truman Provider Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18, which was flying off the usHarry S. Truman,” Central Command mentioned in an announcement.
It wasn’t instantly clear how the Gettysburg may mistake an F/A-18 for an enemy plane or missile, notably as ships in a battle group stay linked by each radar and radio communication.
Earlier Saturday, CENTCOM reported that it had performed precision airstrikes in Houthi-controlled territory in Sana’a, Yemen, towards a missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility.
The strikes have been performed in response to the continuing Houthi assaults on U.S. Navy warships and industrial vessels within the Southern Purple Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, CENTCOM mentioned.
Throughout the operation, CENTCOM forces additionally shot down a number of Houthi assault drones, in addition to an anti-ship cruise missile over the Purple Sea.
Early Saturday morning, a rocket fired from Yemen struck an space in Tel Aviv, injuring a minimum of 16 individuals. The Houthis issued an announcement on Telegram saying they’d aimed a hypersonic ballistic missile at a army goal, which they didn’t establish.
For the reason that Truman’s arrival, the U.S. has stepped up its airstrikes focusing on the Houthis and their missile fireplace into the Purple Sea and the encompassing space. Nevertheless, the presence of an American warship group might spark renewed assaults from the rebels, like what the usDwight D. Eisenhower noticed earlier this 12 months. That deployment marked what the Navy described as its most intense fight since World Battle II.
Houthi-controlled media reported U.S. strikes in each Sanaa and across the port metropolis of Hodeida Saturday, with out providing any casualty or injury data. In Sanaa, strikes appeared notably focused at a mountainside identified to be house to army installations. The Houthis didn’t acknowledge the plane being shot down within the Purple Sea.
The Houthis have focused about 100 service provider vessels with missiles and drones in solidarity with the militant group Hamas since the Israel-Hamas battle within the Gaza Strip began in October 2023.
The Houthis have seized one vessel and sunk two in a marketing campaign that has additionally killed 4 sailors. Different missiles and drones have both been intercepted by separate U.S. and European-led coalitions within the Purple Sea, or failed to achieve their targets, which have additionally included Western army vessels.
The rebels preserve that they aim ships linked to Israel, the U.S. or the UK to pressure an finish to Israel’s marketing campaign towards Hamas in Gaza. Nevertheless, most of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the battle, together with some sure for Iran.
The Houthis even have more and more focused Israel itself with drones and missiles, leading to retaliatory Israeli airstrikes.
