TEHRAN (Kashmir English): A US fighter jet has been shot down over Iran, and a search-and-rescue operation is underway for any survivors, Reuters reported on Friday, citing two US officials.
In another development, Axios, citing an Israeli official, said that one of two crew members of a US fighter jet was located and rescued by US special forces, and the search for the second is ongoing.
Earlier, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) claimed to have shot down a stealth F-35 fighter jet in central Iran.
The downed aircraft belonged to the Lakenheath squadron, it said, adding that the fighter jet was destroyed and crashed, Iranian media said.
Iran’s Fars news agency said the army had launched a search for the pilot of a US fighter jet hit by an air defence system.
Iranian officials called on civilians to be on the lookout for survivors and have shared images that purport to show wreckage from the aircraft.
The governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province said anyone who captured or killed the crew would be specially commended.
Contacted by AFP, the US Central Command (Centcom), responsible for military operations in the Middle East, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“Military forces have launched a search operation to find the American fighter pilot who was hit earlier today,” Fars said.
Later, a US helicopter, on a search mission for the jet reportedly shot down in Iran, was also hit by a projectile, Al Jazeera reported while quoting Iran’s Mehr news agency.
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