Representatives of the Yemeni Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement reported a successful attack on the American aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea, claiming to have shot down an F/A-18 carrier-based fighter.

Houthi fighters repelled a joint US-UK air attack on Yemen, Houthi spokesman Yahya Sariya said. The Houthis used eight cruise missiles and 17 drones in the operation, which they said forced the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier to withdraw from the battle zone.

Sariya noted that most of the enemy's warplanes left Yemeni airspace and headed for neutral waters of the Red Sea after the attack on the aircraft carrier. He also stressed that the Houthis shot down an F/A-18 fighter jet that tried to repel their attack.

Earlier, American media reported that the fighter jet could have been accidentally shot down by a US missile cruiser, part of the Harry Truman carrier group. According to US Central Command, the F/A-18 was shot down shortly after takeoff from the carrier deck and both pilots managed to eject, receiving minor injuries.

There has been no official comment from the Pentagon or the White House on the Houthi claims so far. The US and UK have previously said they have struck Houthi targets in response to a threat to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

Recall that this is not the first time that the Houthis have claimed to have attacked US warships in the region. In November 2024, they reported striking the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea and two destroyers in the Red Sea using cruise missiles and drones.