Washington DC - Two US Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea early Sunday in "an apparent case of friendly fire," the military said.

Both pilots were recovered alive, but "initial assessments indicate that one of the crew members sustained minor injuries," the United States Central Command said late Saturday local Florida time – where CENTCOM is headquartered.

"This incident was not the result of hostile fire, and a full investigation is underway."

CENTCOM said the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg "mistakenly fired on and hit the F/A-18" fighter aircraft, which was flown by the Navy pilots off another ship, the USS Harry S. Truman.

Accidents Trapped tourists rescued after getting stuck underground at Colorado gold mine

The potentially disastrous mistake underscores the dangers of a mission the US has been involved in for more than a year as Yemen's Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that they say are Israeli-linked.

On Saturday, the US said it struck targets in Yemen's rebel-held capital hours after a Huthi rebel missile wounded people in Israel's commercial hub, Tel Aviv.

American forces also shot down multiple Huthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea, it said.

Huthis have claimed solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel's ongoing assault has killed more than 45,000 people since October 2023.