Two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent “friendly fire” incident, the U.S military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

A U.S. Navy ship mistakenly shot down an American fighter jet over the Red Sea early Sunday, the U.S. military’s Central Command said, describing it as an apparent case of friendly fire.

An F/A-18 fighter jet was "mistakenly fired on" by the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg, authorities said.