US army says two navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in ‘friendly fire’ 

Two United States navy pilots have been shot down over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, says the US military.

Yemen’s Houthi fighters later on Sunday claimed they had “targeted” the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman a day earlier in an operation that led to “shooting down an F-18 aircraft”.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their aircraft, which was struck early on Sunday, with one suffering minor injuries.

This incident “was not the result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway”, CENTCOM said, adding that the aircraft had just flown off the deck of Truman.

The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, waterways vital to global trade. The group says its attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has been waging a genocide for more than a year, killing more than 45,000 people.

In a video statement, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group also launched eight drones and 17 cruise missiles in its attack.

However, CENTCOM said warships and aircraft earlier shot down multiple Houthi drones and an antiship cruise missile launched by the Yemeni rebels.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday pledged to retaliate against Houthi rebels after they fired a missile at Tel Aviv, warning that Israel would target what he described as the last remaining arm of “Iran’s axis of evil”.

The Houthis struck Israel’s commercial hub on Saturday with what they claimed was a ballistic missile, injuring 16 people and forcing many to leave their homes following the predawn attack.

“As we acted with force against the terrorist arms of Iran’s axis of evil, so we will act against the Houthis… with force, determination and sophistication,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.

Saturday’s strike on Tel Aviv was the second such attack on Israel by the Houthis this week, and one of several since the war in Gaza broke out.

US and British forces have repeatedly struck rebel targets in Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Israel has also previously struck the Houthis, including hitting ports and energy facilities, after rebel attacks against its territory.

The latest Israeli attack against the Houthis was on Thursday, with Israeli warplanes striking Sanaa for the first time.