WASHINGTON: The United States Central Command on Monday confirmed that three of its F-15 fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait in a “friendly fire”. The warplanes, the US Central Command said, were apparently hit by Kuwait air defences when they were flying close to the border in support of Operation Epic Fury – the US military operation against Iran.
“At 11:03 pm ET, March 1, three US F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident. During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones — the US. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences,” the US Central Command said in a statement.
All six crew members ejected safely and are undergoing treatment at a medical facility, where their condition is said to be stable.
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“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 defence forces and their support in this ongoing operation,” the statement read.
It further added, “The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available.”
Earlier, the Kuwaiti military said that “several” US fighter jets had crashed in Kuwait. Iran claimed that the US jets were shot down by its missiles near the Kuwait border.
Agencies