US shoots down own plane over Red Sea in ‘friendly fire’ incident

Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down by the U.S. military in an apparent “friendly fire” incident on Sunday as troops continue to battle Yemen’s Houthi rebels, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

Both pilots ejected from their aircraft and were recovered alive, with one sustaining minor injuries, The Associated Press reported.

CENTCOM said in a press release Saturday that U.S. forces were conducting strikes against a storage facility containing missiles operated by the Houthis, which are backed by Iran.