Yemen’s Houthis claim to down U.S. fighter jet over Red Sea

The Yemeni Houthi group claimed Sunday to have shot down a U.S. F-18 fighter jet in an attack on an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea.

Military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement that Houthi forces successfully "foiled a US-UK attack on Yemen."

"Aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and several of its accompanying destroyers were targeted as the aggressive attack on Yemen began last night," he said.

Saree explained that the operation "was carried out using eight cruise missiles and 17 drones, resulting in the downing of an F-18 fighter jet while the destroyers attempted to intercept the Yemeni drones and missiles."

Early on Sunday, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that a U.S. Navy F/A-18 fighter jet was downed by "friendly fire" over the Red Sea.

On Thursday, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on Yemen's coastal city of Al-Hudaydah and the capital Sanaa in retaliation for Houthi drone and missile attacks.

The attacks were the third wave of airstrikes launched by Tel Aviv against Houthi-held sites in Yemen since July.

The Houthis have targeted Israeli cargo ships or those associated with Tel Aviv in the Red Sea with missiles and drones in a show of support with the Gaza Strip, where over 45,200 people have been killed in Israel's genocidal war since Oct. 7, 2023.