Three American fighter jets were downed “due to an apparent friendly fire incident,” the U.S. military announced.
Kuwait’s air defense forces mistakenly fired on the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft late Sunday Eastern Time, according to the statement.
“During active combat operations which included attacks by Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly engaged by Kuwait’s air defense systems,” a statement from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said, as reported by Klankosova.tv.
“All six crew members ejected safely, have been recovered, and are in stable condition.
Kuwait has acknowledged the incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of Kuwait’s defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”
The cause of the incident remains under investigation, according to CENTCOM. The fighter jets were flying in support of the military operation against Iran, known as Operation Epic Fury.
Kuwait’s Defense Minister said in the early hours of Monday that “several” U.S. fighter jets had been shot down.
