Two US Navy pilots ejected safely after a warplane was shot down over the Red Sea by “friendly fire,” officials said.

Two US Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea in a “flammable” incident, the US military said on Sunday. Both pilots were found alive, one was slightly injured in the incident.

This incident happened when the American military attacked by plane The Yemeni rebels are supported by the Iranian Houthisalthough the US military's Central Command did not elaborate on what its purpose was at the time.

“The missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, accidentally shot down an F/A-18, which was flying from the USS Harry S. Truman,” Central Command said in a statement.

It was not immediately clear how the Gettysburg could mistake an F/A-18 for an enemy plane or missile, especially since the battle group's ships remain connected by both radar and radio communications.

Earlier on Saturday, CENTCOM reported that it had carried out a precision airstrike in Houthi-controlled territory in Sana'a, Yemen, against a missile storage facility and a command and control facility.

These strikes are made in response to ongoing The Houthi attack to US Navy warships and commercial vessels in the Southern Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, CENTCOM said.

During the operation, CENTCOM forces also shot down several Houthi drones, as well as an anti-ship missile that was transiting the Red Sea.

Saturday morning, rocket expelled from Yemen hit the Tel Aviv area, injuring at least 16 people. The Houthis issued a statement on Telegram saying that they had directed a hypersonic ballistic missile at a target, which they did not identify.

Since Truman's arrival, the US has increased its airstrikes targeting the Houthis and their missile strikes in and around the Red Sea. However, the presence of a group of American warships may cause renewed attacks by the rebels, such as this one that was seen by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower earlier this year. That submission is marked what the Navy described as its most intense battle since World War II.

Houthi-controlled media reported US strikes in Sanaa and areas around the port city of Hodeida on Saturday, without giving details of casualties or damage. In Sanaa, the strikes appeared to be mostly targeted at a mountain known as the home of military installations. The Houthis have denied that the plane was shot down in the Red Sea.

The Houthis they intend about 100 merchant ships with missiles and drones in cooperation with the terrorist group Hamas since Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023.

The Houthis seized one ship and two died in a campaign that killed four sailors. Some missiles and drones have either he was caught by US and European-led coalitions in the Red Sea, or failed to achieve their goals, including Western naval forces.

The rebels have said they are targeting ships linked to Israel, the US or the United Kingdom to force an end to Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the conflict, including some bound for Iran.

The Houthis have also focused heavily on Israel itself with drones and missiles, leading to retaliation by Israeli planes.