US Centcom says three F-15 jets mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences amid Iranian strikes
Kuwait also intercepted hostile drones on Monday, the third consecutive day of Iranian retaliatory strikes on neighbouring Gulf states in response to US and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic.
The United States Central Command (Centcom) has said that three US F-15E Strike Eagles were "mistakenly been shot down" by Kuwaiti air defence on Sunday (1 March).
"At 11:03 p.m. ET, March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident," Centcom posted in a statement.
"All six aircrew 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 defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation," it added.
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The cause of the incident is under investigation. Additional information will be released as it becomes available, the US Central Command further said.Earlier, Kuwait's Ministry of Defence said Several US military aircraft crashed in Kuwait on Monday (2 March), as conflict widened across the Middle East, reports reuters.
The Kuwait Defence Ministry statement, which was carried by the state news agency, said the crews from the crashed aircraft were evacuated and transferred to hospital and were in stable condition. It added that the response was carried out in coordination with US forces.
In a separate incident, smoke was seen rising from the vicinity of the US Embassy compound in Kuwait City, and fire trucks and ambulances were in the area, a witness told Reuters.
Kuwait also intercepted hostile drones on Monday, the third consecutive day of Iranian retaliatory strikes on neighbouring Gulf states in response to US and Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic.
Iran's state media cited the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as saying Iranian armed forces hit a US plane that crashed in Kuwait. Online video verified by Reuters as being taken in the Al Jahra area of Kuwait showed a military aircraft falling from the sky and a person parachuting in the same shot.
The Kuwaiti statement did not specify how many aircraft were involved.
Falling Debris Injures Workers
Two workers were slightly injured by falling debris at Kuwait's Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, Kuwait's National Petroleum Company said on X.
The US Embassy in Kuwait warned US citizens that there was a continuing threat of missile and drone attacks over the country and urged citizens not to come to the embassy. It advised people to shelter in place, remain on the lowest floor of their residence away from windows and not go outside.
No injuries were reported after Kuwait air defences intercepted the majority of the drones near Rumaithiya and Salwa neighbourhoods, the state news agency cited the director-general of the civil defence as saying.
A series of loud blasts was heard on Monday morning in Dubai and the Qatari capital of Doha, according to Reuters witnesses. Loud bangs and sirens were heard earlier in Kuwait, according to Reuters witnesses.
Tehran said it would target US bases in the region after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday.
It has also hit a range of civilian and commercial areas across Gulf cities, widening the conflict's impact on key regional aviation and trade hubs.
