New Delhi: At least five people were killed, and several “flying objects” were destroyed, including a transport plane, during the US operation to rescue the downed fighter jet crew member, the Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said, reported Iranian media.
According to the spokesperson of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the unified command of the Iranian armed forces, the downed aircraft included a C-130 military transport plane in the south of Isfahan, and two Black Hawk helicopters. The Iranian army also reportedly downed an Israeli drone.
“The enemy’s intruding aircrafts in southern Isfahan – including two Black Hawk helicopters and one C-130 military transport aircraft — were struck and are now burning,” the military’s central command said.
It added that the rescue operation had “failed”.
A US fighter jet crew member who was missing for two days after Iran shot down the F-15E warplane was rescued today in one of the most “daring operations” in the history of the United States, President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social. According to Trump, the crew member, who held the rank of colonel, sustained injuries but “will be fine”.
The US military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the “most lethal weapons in the world”, to rescue the pilot at Trump’s direction. Hundreds of special operations troops were involved in the rescue effort, who went deep into Iranian territory to rescue the airman – who has now been flown out of Iran safely, Al Jazeera reported.
Special Forces, Dozens Of Planes: How US Rescued F15 Jet Crew From Iran
Iran shot down the US F-15E Strike Eagle on Friday – which carried a pilot and a weapons system officer. While one of them was rescued immediately, another was missing. According to an Iranian media outlet, the fighter jet was targeted over central Iran and may have gone down in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province.
While the US had not confirmed the other crew member’s rescue, Trump today said that it was because they “did not want to jeopardise the second rescue operation”.
“This is the first time in military memory that two US Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies,” he said.
Iran had downed another plane, an A-10 Warthog fighter aircraft, which costs about $18.8 million (around Rs 174 crore), over Kuwait. The pilot, however, ejected and was rescued.
