Kuwaiti air defense mistakenly shoots down 3 American F-15 fighters, crew members alive
U.S. Central Command (Centcom) reported on Monday that three of its F-15 Strike Eagle fighters, which were participating in operations against Iran, were mistakenly shot down over Kuwait by the country’s air defenses, but the crew members were able to eject safely.
"On March 1 at 23:03 EST (22:03 Kyiv time – IF-U), three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles performing missions as part of Operation Epic Fury crashed in Kuwait due to a friendly fire incident. During active hostilities involving attacks by Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones, the U.S. Air Force fighters were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defense," a statement on the Centcom website reads.
It is reported that all six crew members "ejected, were rescued, and are in stable condition."
"Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful to the Kuwaiti defense forces for their efforts and support in the ongoing operation. The causes of the incident are under investigation," Centcom stated.
As reported earlier on Monday, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense stated that "several U.S. military aircraft" crashed on its territory, and the crew members were taken to hospitals. No mention of air defense activity or friendly fire was made at that time.
Earlier, Iran launched strikes against Kuwait, specifically targeting military bases and the U.S. Embassy. Three U.S. service members were killed in those attacks.
