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U.S. F15E. ©AFP.
A U.S. fighter jet crashed in southwest Iran on Friday, and a search-and-rescue operation is underway to locate a remaining crew member, after U.S. officials confirmed they had rescued one pilot, according to Reuters.
U.S. officials have reportedly confirmed that Iran shot down the aircraft. This marks the first time that a U.S. aircraft has been downed by enemy fire since the start of the war.
On Friday, Iranian state media published photos and videos allegedly showing debris from the downed aircraft and one of the ejection seats in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. The photographs, according to military analysts, appear to show debris from an American F-15E, a fighter jet designed for long-range, high-speed interdiction.
The Iranian government, via their state broadcaster IRIB, urged Iranians to capture the pilots, promising a reward for anyone able bring them to military forces alive.
CBS verified videos of U.S. helicopters and a C-130 aircraft flying low over southwest Iranian airspace, an indication that Iranian anti-aircraft could be severely degraded.
Around the same time, an A-10 Warthog plane also crashed in Iran though the sole pilot was rescued, U.S. officials told the New York Times.
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