WASHINGTON: American commandos deployed deep into Iranian territory to rescue a downed airman, US news outlets reported on Sunday (Apr 5), hours after President Donald Trump announced that the crew member had been recovered “safe and sound”.
Tehran said this week it had shot down an F-15 warplane, the first US fighter jet to go down inside Iran since the start of the war. Washington has not confirmed the details of how the fighter went down.
Trump said early on Sunday the US military had “pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!”.
Navy SEAL Team 6 commandos were tasked with extracting the airman, while US attack aircraft dropped bombs and opened fire on Iranian convoys to keep them away, the New York Times reported, citing an unidentified official.
The airman, a weapon systems officer, was wounded after the ejection but could still walk, evading capture in the mountains for more than a day, according to news outlet Axios, which cited a US official.
The unidentified airman was equipped with a pistol, a beacon and a secure communications device to coordinate with rescuers, the New York Times reported.
American commandos converging on the officer fired their weapons to keep Iranian forces away from the rescue site, the Times said.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that he had directed the US military to send “dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve” him.
“He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,” Trump wrote.