KUWAIT CITY: US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet shot down in the western desert of Kuwait on Monday morning resulting injury of the pilot.
The incident came at a time when tensions are high in the region due to direct military confrontation between Iran and the US-Israel. Russian media said that the plane was engulfed in flames in the air and circling before crashing to the ground. A large explosion occurred as the plane hit the ground, and clouds of smoke rose. After the crash, the pilot was able to eject moments before the crash in serious condition.
Local Kuwaiti citizens present at the scene immediately helped the pilot and transported him to medical care in their personal vehicle. According to initial reports, the pilot suffered minor injuries and is out of danger.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has not yet given a definitive cause of the crash. Some defense experts and intelligence trackers believe that the plane was mistakenly targeted by the coalition forces’ own defense system because the entire region was on high alert at the time.
Iranian state media has claimed that the plane was shot down, but no concrete evidence has been provided in this regard. Kuwait’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the defence system was activated early this morning to intercept “enemy targets” in the central parts of the country.
The accident occurred during Operation Epic Fury, a joint US-Israeli air campaign against Iran. In response, Iran has launched drone and missile attacks on US bases in Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain.
According to a Pentagon spokesperson, more details on the incident and the overall security situation in the region will be provided at a press briefing this morning.
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