US fighter jet allegedly downed in 'friendly fire' over Red Sea

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
22 Dec 2024 10:52

US CENTCOM claims that the fighter jet was mistakenly fired at by a missile cruiser deployed in the Red Sea.

Listen

In this photograph released by the US Navy, an F/A-18 Super Hornet prepares to launch off the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, on July 5, 2024, in the South China Sea. (AP)

A US Navy F/A-18 fighter jet was shot down by friendly fire over the Red Sea, the US Central Command reported on Sunday.

Details of the incident indicate that the aircraft took off from the USS Harry S. Truman, operating in the Red Sea, and was "mistakenly fired at" by the USS Gettysburg, a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, which was deployed into the Middle East one week ago.

One of the pilots flying the F/A-18 sustained minor injuries after both pilots ejected amid the incident.

Al-Houthi: CENTCOM not telling the truth

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, member of the Yemeni Supreme Council, said the "US Central Command will not reveal the true cause behind the downing of the American fighter jet."

In a statement given in light of the incident, the Yemeni official speculated that the reason why the US was concealing the truth was to prevent even further deterioration of morale among its forces in the Red Sea.

He further reiterated that Yemen's operations in support of Gaza will not cease regardless of the aggression on Yemen.

CENTCOM's claims

This comes after a violent explosion rocked the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Saturday evening, with reports of intensive fighter jet activity in the skies, according to Al Mayadeen's correspondent who confirmed that two airstrikes targeted Mount Attan, located south of the city.

CENTCOM published a statement on X announcing the aggression against Yemen. In the statement, CENTCOM claimed to have targeted Ansar Allah's "missile storage facility and a command-and-control facility."

In this context, CENTCOM insisted that the aircraft was mistakenly shot down and was not targeted by the Yemeni Armed Forces. Two US military officials further claimed that the fighter jet was not deployed in the aggression against Sanaa.

However, the earlier statement noted that CENTCOM forces "shot down multiple Houthi one way attack uncrewed aerial vehicles (OWA UAV) and an anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) over the Red Sea," adding that the aggression "involved U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy assets, including F/A-18s."