According to U.S. Central Command, two U.S. Navy pilots were safely ejected over the Red Sea on Sunday after their F/A-18 fighter jet was shot down by what seemed to be friendly fire.
According to a statement from CENTCOM, the F/A-18 was shot down while it was departing from the USS Harry S. Truman. According to CENTCOM, one of the pilots might have suffered minor injuries during the ejection.
According to the statement, the F/A-18 was accidentally struck by a guided missile cruiser, USS Gettysburg, which was a member of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group in the area.
CENTCOM also stated that a thorough investigation is in progress.
The precise purpose of the fighter was not disclosed by officials.
The apparent mishap occurred Sunday morning in the area between Africa and the Middle East, where American military forces had gathered to defend American citizens, coalition allies, and international maritime interests.
The strike group has reached CENTCOM’s area of command, which encompasses the Middle East, Central Asia, and portions of South Asia, the military stated in a statement on December 15.
According to CENTCOM, the strike group also consists of two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, USS Stout and USS Jason Dunham, Carrier Air Wing 1, and Destroyer Squadron 28.
“The Strike Group is deployed to ensure regional stability and security,” CENTCOM officially stated on December 15.
The incident occurs as U.S. soldiers have been defending Yemen-based Houthi rebels supported by Iran from missile attacks that have targeted cargo ships, endangering the world’s supply chain.
U.S. forces have attacked Houthi assets and installations in Yemen over the past year, including drone bases, command and control centers, missile and radar systems, and subterranean storage sites.
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder stated, “We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks,” following the November strike by U.S. forces on Houthi weapons installations in Yemen.
The Navy has characterized the back-and-forth with the Houthis this year as its most intensive combat since World War II.
On an average day, an estimated 12% of the world’s supplies travel through the Red Sea shipping channel.
After Hamas terrorists from Gaza invaded Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel, backed by the United States, launched an offensive against the militants, the Houthis intensified their attacks.
About 1,200 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas terrorists’ incursion, according to Israeli officials. About 250 people were taken hostage by Hamas fighters. According to an NBC News count, about 100 people are still in captivity, but over one-third are thought to be dead.
Palestinian health officials report that Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed over 45,000 people since the war began, the most of them women and children.
In a statement released on Saturday, Houthi insurgents claimed that Israel had committed “massacres against our brothers in Gaza.”
According to Israeli emergency services officials, a Houthi missile fired from Yemen reached Tel Aviv on Saturday morning, injuring 14 persons but not killing any. Houthi rebels stated that Israel’s “iron dome” defense failed to stop the missile.
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