New Delhi, Mar 2 : Kuwait government today said “several” fighter planes of the US “crashed” in the country but all crew members survived.
Hours later, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that three of its F-15E fighter jets, flying in support of the ‘Operation Epic Fury’, “went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident” but the pilots were safe.
The Ministry of Defense of Kuwait said this in a statement after videos emerged on social media showing a fighter plane, having caught fire, and crashing somewhere in the country.
It was claimed to be F-15 fighter plane of the US, with unverfied assertions that it had been shot down.
However, no details were available regarding the cause of the crashes.
“Relevant authorities immediately initiated search-and-rescue operations,” spokesperson of Kuwait’s Defense Ministry Col. Said Al-Atwan said in the statement.
“The crews were evacuating from the crash sites and transferred to hospital to assess their condition and provided necessary medical care,” he said.
The crew members are in a “stable” condition, he added.
The spokesperson said Kuwait was in “direct coordination” with US authorities.
Kuwait has been facing missile and drone attacks from Iran which is targeting US interests in the Gulf as part of retaliation against attacks by America and Israel.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei along with several top political and military leaders have been killed in the joint action by the US and Israeli militaries.
The US military has a significant number of military assets in the region, deployed in the weeks leading up to the joint US-Israeli military operation launched on the morning of February 28.
A list put out by CENTCOM on Sunday showing the assets employed thus far included F-18s, F-16s, F-22s, F-35s, A-10 attack aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drones, refueling aircraft, counter-drone systems, Navy aircraft carriers and guided-missile destroyers. (NVI)
