Three US fighter jets went down “due to an apparent friendly fire incident,” the US military has announced.
Kuwaiti air defenses accidentally shot the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets down late Sunday ET time, the statement went on to say.
“During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” a statement from US Central Command said. “All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”
The cause of the incident is under investigation, according to CENTCOM. The jets were flying in support of the military operation against Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury.
Kuwait’s Minister of Defense said in the early hours of Monday morning that “several” US fighter jets crashed.
Countries across the Middle East are being swept up in the US’ war with Iran. Catch up here
This weekend saw attacks on countries across the Middle East, after the US and Israel struck multiple cities in Iran, killing the country’s supreme leader, several senior officials, and over 150 girls at an elementary school.
Tehran has retaliated in attacks across the region, striking many of its neighbors, including a number of US-allied Gulf countries.
Source: CNN
