A U.S. Navy F-18 Hornet pilot takes off from the flight deck of the USS Harry S. Truman on May 8, 2018. (ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images)
OAN Staff Blake Wolf 5:20 PM – Monday, December 23, 2024
The U.S. Central Command has reported that two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea during a “friendly fire” incident on Sunday. Fortunately, both pilots successfully ejected from their aircraft, although one sustained minor injuries.
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The pilots were flying an F/A-18 fighter jet as part of the USS Harry S. Truman Strike Group when it was “mistakenly fired upon and hit” by the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg.
It remains unclear how the USS Gettysburg misidentified the F/A-18 for an enemy aircraft; however, Central Command has stated that “a full investigation is underway.”
This incident of friendly fire follows Central Command’s announcement of precision airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Saturday, targeting a missile storage facility and a command-and-control center.
The strikes against the Houthis are part of an ongoing response to missile attacks on cargo ships, which pose a threat to the global supply chain, as about 12% of global trade passes through the Red Sea shipping lanes.
“We will continue to emphasize to the Houthis that there will be repercussions for their unlawful and reckless attacks,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
The Houthis have claimed they are targeting cargo ships in retaliation for Israel’s “massacres against our brothers in Gaza,” which have reportedly resulted in over 45,000 deaths, many being women and children.
Furthermore, the Houthis have attempted to take credit for downing the American fighter jet, claiming it was accomplished using eight cruise missiles and 17 drones, leading to the “failure of the hostile attack on Yemeni territory.”
“U.S. attacks on Yemen are condemned and regarded as illegal terrorist actions that support the temporary Israeli entity to continue its genocide and siege against the people of Gaza,” stated Houthi spokesperson Mohammed al-Houthi.
“The American terrorist attacks exemplify the lawless rampage and criminality in the region. Such reckless acts against Yemen do not deter support operations for Gaza,” he added.
Al-Houthi further claimed that the United States would obscure the truth about how the plane was downed “to avoid further demoralization of its soldiers.”
الهجمات الأمريكية على اليمن هجمات إرهابية مدانةوغير مشروعة تساند إرهاب الكيان الإسرائيلي المؤقت لاستمرار ابادة وحصارأبناء غزة وتأتي الهجمات الإرهابيةالأمريكية لتؤكدالعربدة خارج القانون وممارسة الإجرام في المنطقة أن التصرفات الإرهابية الرعناء ضد اليمن لا توقف عمليات الإسناد لغزة
