On Monday, US Central Command (Centcom) issued a statement regarding the incident of the downing of a number of US warplanes in Kuwait, and suggested that the cause was friendly fire during an air clash.
The statement stated: “At 11:03 p.m. EDT, on March 1, 3 US F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident.”
The statement pointed out that “during a heated air battle – which included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones – Kuwaiti air defenses mistakenly shot down US Air Force planes.”
Centcom confirmed that all six pilots parachuted safely, were rescued and are fine, and their health condition is stable, indicating that Kuwait acknowledged the accident, and expressed its thanks for the efforts of the Kuwaiti Defense Forces and their support in this ongoing operation.
The statement also stated that investigations are underway to determine the cause of the accident, and more details will be published when available.
For its part, the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense announced, on Monday, the downing of a number of American warplanes and the survival of all their crew members.
The official spokesman for the Kuwaiti Ministry of Defense said: “This morning, a number of American warplanes fell,” stressing the safety of all crews.
He explained that specialized teams immediately began search and rescue operations, where the pilots were evacuated and taken to the hospital for medical examination and provision of necessary care, noting that their condition is stable.
He added that coordination was made directly with the American forces regarding the details of the accident, and that joint technical measures were taken, stressing that the concerned authorities are continuing investigations to find out the causes of the accident, and calling for obtaining information from their official sources.
