A Kuwaiti fighter jet accidentally shot down three US F-15 planes on Sunday, according to people familiar with the matter, in what appears to be a friendly fire incident amid ongoing Middle East operations, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, a Kuwaiti F/A-18 fired three missiles that struck the US aircraft, citing an anonymous US source.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the three F-15E Strike Eagles, which were supporting the mission, “were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences” in an “apparent friendly fire” mishap.
All six crew members ejected safely and were recovered in stable condition.
The incident reportedly took place shortly after an Iranian drone hit a tactical operations centre at a Kuwaiti commercial port, another person familiar with the matter told the Journal.
The person added that Kuwaiti forces were on alert when their radar detected US jets flying in and engaged them by firing missiles at them.
The US and Israel launched strikes at Iran on Saturday, killing several senior officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Tehran responded with drone and missile strikes targeting several Gulf countries, mainly US military bases in the region.
Six US service members were killed and several others wounded in an Iranian strike on a tactical operations centre in Kuwait during the operation, said CENTCOM.
