Three U.S. fighter jets were shot down over Kuwaiti airspace, in an incident that is being described as a case of friendly fire during the U.S.-Israeli operation against Iran. As the bombing campaign continued throughout the weekend, Tehran retaliated against a dozen countries in the region with ballistic missile attacks.
The three F-15E Strike Eagle Fighter jets that were shot down were flying in support of operations directed against Iran, when they were erroneously targeted by Kuwaiti air defense systems. According to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), all six crew members ejected from their aircraft safely. On Monday, videos were seen on social media showing a female pilot being safely recovered by Kuwaitis.
"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," CENTCOM said in a press release. "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."
All six crew members are reportedly in stable condition after being safely recovered.