3 US F-15 jets shot down by Kuwait in friendly fire incident

Washington: Three F-15E ‘Strike Eagle’ fighter jets were shot down in separate ‘friendly fire’ incidents by Kuwaiti air defences, the United States’ Central Command - the command node directing joint US-Israel war on Iran - said on Monday evening.

“All six aircrew (two per plane) ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defence forces and their support in this ongoing operation,” CENTCOM said.

Kuwait had earlier said “several US military aircraft had crashed”.

Visuals widely shared on social media showed one of the F-15Es falling out of the sky, spiralling downwards in slow motion with flames from its rear. Seconds later the pilots ejected.

US-Israel missile strikes on Saturday - targeting regime and military installations in Iran - have since resulted in a free-for-all in West Asia, after the Iranian side responded with a barrage of missiles and armed drone attacks at Tel Aviv and American military bases across the region.

On Monday morning explosions were heard across major cities in the Gulf region as Tehran continued to retaliate on a scale that has surprised military observers. Explosions were also heard in Jerusalem, an AFP journalist said. This was after the Israeli military said it had “identified missiles launched from Iran” and sounded air raid sirens.