Houthis claim US airstrike killed 68 African migrants in Yemen prison
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed that a U.S. airstrike on a prison housing African migrants killed at least 68 and injured 47.
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A fighter jet has been “lost at sea” after it fell overboard from an aircraft carrier while it was being towed on April 28 in the Middle East, the U.S. Navy said.
The F/A-18E Super Hornet fell off the hangar deck of the USS Harry S. Truman as sailors towed the aircraft into the hangar bay, according to the Navy. The crew then lost control of the aircraft, which resulted in the fighter jet and tow tractor falling into the Red Sea.
Sailors towing the fighter jet “took immediate action to move clear of the aircraft” before it fell off the hangar deck, the Navy said in a statement. All personnel were accounted for, and one sailor sustained a minor injury.
It was not immediately clear what may have caused crew members to lose control of the aircraft. The Navy said it has launched an investigation into the incident.
The fighter jet was assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 136. An F/A-18 fighter jet can cost about $60 million, according to the Naval Air Systems Command.
The incident occurred while the Truman Carrier Strike Group was deployed in the Middle East. The aircraft carrier has been operating in the region for months and has been aiding strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen.
“The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group and embarked air wing remain fully mission capable,” the Navy said in a statement.
Reports: Aircraft carrier may have veered to evade Houthi fire
U.S. officials told several news outlets that initial reports from the scene suggest that the aircraft carrier veered to avoid fire from Houthis, according to ABC News, CNN, Politico, and Reuters.
A U.S. official told Reuters that initial reports were that the Truman made a hard turn because of a Houthi attack in the vicinity. But it was unclear if the movement caused the fighter jet to fall overboard.
Officials noted that initial reports remained unconfirmed and the investigation into the incident remains ongoing, ABC News reported.
The Houthis said in an earlier statement on April 28 that they targeted the aircraft carrier and its associated warships in response to what the group described as the U.S. massacres against civilians. The aircraft carrier has been repeatedly targeted in attacks by the Houthis.
Houthi-controlled television reported on April 28 that a suspected U.S. airstrike hit a prison holding African migrants in Yemen, killing at least 68 people and injuring 47 others. The attack was one of the deadliest so far in six weeks against the Houthis.
President Donald Trump has intensified military operations targeting Houthis, including strikes on a fuel terminal on the Red Sea coast earlier this month that killed at least 74 people. Federal officials have pledged to continue attacks on Houthis until the group halts attacks on Red Sea shipping.
U.S. Central Command said on April 27 that its forces have struck more than 800 targets since the current operation in Yemen, known as Operation Rough Rider, started on March 15. The strikes, Central Command said, have killed “hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders.”
Latest incident involving USS Harry S. Truman
USA TODAY reported in early April that the Pentagon has extended Truman’s deployment in the Middle East for another month. The Pentagon also ordered a second flotilla and sent additional warplanes to the region.
In February, the Truman collided with a cargo ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea near Egypt. No injuries were reported at the time.
The Navy later fired Capt. Dave Snowden, who took command of the Truman in December 2023. Rear Adm. Sean Bailey, Snowden’s commander, removed him due to a “loss of confidence in [Snowden’s] ability to command … after [the] Truman was involved in a collision,” according to a Navy release.
In December 2024, Central Command said in a statement that it mistakenly shot down one of its fighter aircraft over the Red Sea, forcing both pilots to eject. The two pilots were rescued — one with minor injuries — after the “apparent case of friendly fire,” according to Central Command.
The fighter was an F/A-18 Hornet flying off the Truman. One of the carrier’s escort ships, the missile cruiser Gettysburg, “mistakenly fired on and hit” the plane, Central Command said.
Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman and Davis Winkie, USA TODAY; Reuters