A US F-15 fighter jet was shot down over Iran, three US sources said on Friday.
And in a separate incident on the same day, a US military A-10 Thunderbolt was struck, according to a US official familiar with the matter.
Here’s what we know so far about the two aircraft:
US forces have launched search and rescue efforts for the downed fighter jet, two sources said. One of two crew members has been rescued and is receiving medical attention in US custody, according to sources. The status of the other service member is unknown.
One of the US sources also confirmed the aircraft was an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet.
Video geolocated by CNN showed multiple low-flying military aircraft over Khuzestan province in central Iran as part of an apparent search and rescue operation.
It’s the first time a manned US aircraft has been shot down over Iran during the conflict. Near the beginning of the war, three F-15s were mistakenly shot down in a friendly fire incident by Kuwaiti air defenses.
An A-10 Thunderbolt II, nicknamed the Warthog, was struck by Iran on Friday, forcing the pilot to eject, according to a US official familiar with the matter.
The pilot was able to fly the plane out of Iranian territory before ejecting, and was subsequently rescued, the official said.
Iran’s military claimed to have hit the aircraft, saying it crashed into the Persian Gulf after Iran’s air defense systems targeted it near the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported, citing a statement from the army’s public relations office.
Kevin Liptak, Michael Rios, Haley Britzky, Alayna Treene, Allegra Goodwin, Brad Lendon, Isaac Yee and Kristen Holmes contributed reporting.
