Tehran: The Yemeni armed forces say they have thwarted a joint US-British attack on the country by targeting an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, in an operation that resulted in the downing of an F-18 fighter jet.
“The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman withdrew from its previous location to the northern Red Sea after being targeted,” Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree said in a statement on Sunday.
He explained that the special operation was carried out with eight cruise missiles and 17 drones.
“The operation led to the downing of an F-18 aircraft while the destroyers attempted to intercept the Yemeni drones and missiles,” Saree said.
Earlier in the day, the US military confirmed that two US Navy pilots aboard a F/A-18 jet were shot down over the Red Sea. However, it said the shootdown was the result of a “friendly fire".
“The guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, which is part of the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18,” Central Command said in a statement.
