A video allegedly showing parts of an American aircraft involved in a rescue mission for a US aviator was shared by state broadcaster on social media. The aviator’s was shot down by Iran last week.
On Sunday, Iranian military officials said that two C-130 military transport planes and two belonging to the US army were destroyed in southern Iran’s Isfahan province during the mission to locate the stranded crew member. .
Visuals show ‘wreckage’ of downed aircraft
Iran and the had been searching since Friday for the second crew member of the F-15E. On Sunday, US President said the officer had been found during a search and rescue mission.
Iranian state media aired images showing burnt debris that appeared to be from an aircraft in a desert area. Officials said two C-130 transport planes and two Black Hawk helicopters were destroyed.
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Footage shared by Iran’s Press TV shows two burnt propellers and engines. HT could not verify the authenticity of the video.
Open-source geolocation experts told news agency AFP that the images were taken about 50 kilometres south of Isfahan.
Notably, Iran claimed it had destroyed several aircraft in Isfahan province. Washington, however, said American forces destroyed two C-130 planes after they got stuck, while other aircraft were used to evacuate the rescue teams safely.
Who is the rescued airman?
Very little has been made public about him. It is, however, known that the weapons systems operator seated behind the pilot in the advanced F-15E fighter jet that was shot down last Friday.
Trump said the pilot had been rescued by special forces in a daylight operation on Friday, shortly after the crash in the mountainous Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in southwest Iran.
The airman was injured after ejecting but was able to move. Trump wrote on Sunday that he had been “seriously wounded”.
Reports say he climbed a 2,100-metre (7,000-foot) ridge in the mountains before hiding in a crevice, according to The New York Times and Axios.
With inputs from agencies
