Local security forces have launched a large-scale search operation for a missing pilot after a US warplane crashed in Iraq’s Basra province.
Basra Police Command announced on Thursday (March 5) night that its various units are conducting search operations in potential crash sites within the province’s administrative boundaries.
According to international media reports, specialized rescue teams were promptly dispatched to the scene, but no definitive information regarding the pilot’s whereabouts has been obtained yet.
This incident occurred at a time when the region has witnessed multiple military tensions and clashes in its skies and seas over the past week.
Earlier on Monday, Kuwait’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that several US warplanes had crashed inside Kuwait.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM), the US military’s Middle East-based command, stated that among the crashed aircraft, three were F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets.
CENTCOM claimed that Kuwait’s air defense system mistakenly fired upon these warplanes during ongoing clashes with Iranian drones and missiles. They referred to it as a “friendly fire” incident.
However, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbia Air Defense Headquarters made a different claim. According to their statement, Iranian air defense systems shot down a US F-15E fighter jet near the Kuwait-Iraq border.
Extensive military tensions have escalated in the Middle East since February 28. On that day, Operation “Epic Fury,” a joint US-Israeli military operation, resulted in the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and several of its top military officials.
In response, Tehran claimed to have launched a counter-attack named “True Promise-4,” targeting US bases in Kuwait, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates, including Tel Aviv.