The US military says the incident was not the result of “hostile fire”, as Yemen’s Houthis claim their attack on a US aircraft carrier caused the plane to crash.

Two US Navy pilots were shot down in an apparent friendly fire incident over the Red Sea, according to the US military.

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

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their plane that was hit early Sunday, with one suffering minor injuries.

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

The Houthis have repeatedly attacked Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, waterways crucial to global trade. The group says its attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel has waged a genocide for more than a year that has killed more than 45,000 people.

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

However, CENTCOM said warships and aircraft had previously shot down several Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile fired by the Yemeni rebels.

Netanyahu vows revenge against the Houthis

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday vowed retaliation against Houthi rebels after they fired a rocket into Tel Aviv and warned that Israel would target what he called the last remaining arm of “Iran’s axis of power.” “evil”.

The Houthis struck Israel’s commercial hub with an alleged ballistic missile on Saturday, wounding 16 people and forcing many to leave their homes after the predawn attack.

“Just as we acted with force against the terrorist arms of Iran’s Axis of Evil, we will also act against the Houthis … with force, determination and sophistication,” Netanyahu said in a video statement.

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

US and British forces in Yemen have repeatedly attacked rebel targets in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Israel has previously attacked the Houthis following rebel attacks on its territory, including ports and energy facilities.

The latest Israeli strike against the Houthis took place on Thursday, with Israeli warplanes striking Sanaa for the first time.