Both pilots were forced to evacuate after the U.S. military accidentally shot down one its fighter planes over the Red Sea on Sunday morning.

U.S. Central Command released a statement saying that both were rescued with one suffering minor injuries after an "apparent friendly fire" which is currently being investigated.

The F/A-18 Hornet was flying from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman. The statement stated that the missile cruiser Gettysburg was one of the carrier's escort vessels. It "mistakenly shot and hit" the aircraft.

Since more than a decade, the Red Sea has seen a flurry of military activity as U.S. troops battle Yemen's Iran backed Houthi tribe which has attacked shipping in the area. The U.S. army said that it fired on Houthi missiles and drones over the Red Sea and attacked Sanaa's command-and control and missile storage facilities on Saturday. (Reporting and editing by William Mallard; Brad Heath)

(source: Reuters)