'U.S. airman injured but safe after rescue from inside Iran'
By Bola Olajuwon, Assistant Editor, and Faruq Durosinmi A second United States crew member who was missing in Iran after an American F-15 fighter jet was shot down has been
By Bola Olajuwon, Assistant Editor, and Faruq Durosinmi
A second United States crew member who was missing in Iran after an American F-15 fighter jet was shot down has been rescued.
Posting to social media, U.S. President Donald Trump said the rescued weapons-systems officer had "sustained injuries" but would be "just fine", describing the rescue as "one of the most daring search and rescue operations in U.S. history".
Following the downing of the aircraft on Friday, both the pilot and crew member ejected - with the pilot recovered shortly afterwards.
After this, both the U.S. and Iran scrambled to locate the missing crew member in a mountainous region of southwestern Iran.
The search presented a serious test for the U.S., with the possibility of a prisoner of war situation if Iran found the missing airman - something which would have likely involved him being used as part of propaganda material.
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Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was said to have launched its own search for the missing American, reportedly using troops and locals, and offering them a reward of about $66,000 (£50,000) to capture him alive.
Videos on social media appeared to show hundreds of people heading to a mountainous area in south-western Iran to search for the missing airman.
Details of the second airman being rescued emerged in U.S. media late on Saturday night.
A short time later, Trump confirmed the successful mission on Truth Social, writing "WE GOT HIM!", adding the crew member was a "respected colonel".
The U.S. rescue operation was described to the BBC as "huge" by one person familiar with the details.
The BBC understands that the pilot may have been injured during his initial ejection from the aircraft.
Tasnim, the semi-official news agency associated with the IRGC, said five Iranians were killed during the operation.
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Trump said dozens of aircraft had been involved in the operation, with the White House not giving an update after the pilot was recovered on Friday to protect the ongoing rescue.
Earlier reports suggested the missing crew member might be in the mountainous area of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, in the southwestern regions of Iran.
Officials told U.S. media that the crew member spent more than 24 hours on his own, hiding in the mountains with a handgun.
A senior official also said that the CIA played a crucial role in the rescue mission by tracking the airman in a mountain crevice and passing his exact location to the Pentagon.
The agency engaged in a deception campaign inside Iran, reports said. While the rescue attempt was taking place, the agency spread word that the airman had already been found and was being extracted from Iran.
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The rescue operation reportedly included an A-10 Warthog aircraft, which was hit over the Gulf, with its pilot ejecting before being rescued.
The recovery of the F-15 crew member comes as strikes continue in the region.
Yesterday morning, authorities in Abu Dhabi said they were battling fires at a Borouge petrochemical facility caused by falling debris from an Iranian missile.
Kuwait said strikes by Iranian drones had caused severe damage to oil and petrochemical facilities. Industrial and fuel plants were also targeted in Bahrain.
Later in the day, Israeli media reported a direct hit by a ballistic missile on a residential building in the city of Haifa, which injured at least four people.
