U.S. Fighter Jet Shot Down Over Red Sea by Apparent Friendly Fire

A U.S. Navy ship mistakenly shot down an American fighter jet over the Red Sea early Sunday, the U.S. military said, highlighting the potential risks for international forces as they try to stop attacks on cargo ships by the Houthi militia in Yemen.

The U.S. military’s Central Command described the incident as an apparent case of friendly fire and said that the two pilots had been safely recovered after ejecting from their F/A-18 aircraft. One had minor injuries, it said in a statement, adding that an investigation was underway.

The jet had flown off the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman when it was mistakenly fired upon by the guided-missile cruiser Gettysburg, Central Command said.

Both ships are in the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group. The U.S. military said on Dec. 15 that the group had been deployed to its area of responsibility, which includes Yemen and the surrounding waters. It did not specify where the group was located.

The apparent incident of friendly fire came after Central Command said on Saturday that it had conducted airstrikes against a Houthi missile storage facility and a command facility in Sana, the capital of Yemen. It said it had also shot down multiple Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles and anti-ship cruise missiles over the Red Sea. These operations included F/A-18s, the command said.

The Houthi militia, which is backed by Iran, controls much of northwestern Yemen and has been striking ships with missiles and drones for over a year in what it has described as a campaign in solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza. The attacks on shipping have disrupted one of the busiest maritime routes in the world, forcing many vessels to avoid the area.

The U.S. military, sometimes joined by British forces, has conducted multiple strikes this year on Houthi targets in Yemen in an effort to secure international waterways. Those have so far failed to halt the militia’s ability to strike targets far beyond the territory that they control.

In recent weeks, the Houthis have stepped up attacks against Israel. At least 16 people were slightly injured by flying glass in Tel Aviv on Saturday after Israeli air defenses failed to intercept a missile fired from Yemen. That came after Israeli air defenses early Thursday intercepted a missile fired from Yemen.

Israel has responded with its own strikes, including attacks on Thursday on ports in Yemen controlled by the Houthis.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said on Thursday that the Houthis would pay a heavy price for its attacks. He hinted that the militia could face the same fate as Hamas in Gaza, as Hezbollah in Lebanon and as President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. All received support from Iran, but Hamas and Hezbollah have been crippled by Israeli military action, while rebels ousted Mr. al-Assad this month.