On April 5, a US government official said that the second crew member of the F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet shot down in Iran was found after a fierce battle, but has not yet been taken to safety.
Previously, another pilot in the same flight crew was rescued by US forces and transported by military helicopter to a safe area. The search and rescue operation for the remaining pilot was deployed in dangerous conditions on Iranian territory.
The incident occurred when the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced that it had shot down an F-15 with an air defense system in mid-Iranian airspace on April 3rd (US time). Iranian state media then released images and video of the scene, showing aircraft debris and objects resembling escape seats.
Initial reports said both pilots managed to parachute before the plane crashed, but their condition was not immediately determined afterwards. This is considered the first time a US plane has been shot down by Iranian fire since the conflict began.
The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump was informed of the incident. In an interview, Mr. Trump said that the fighter jet being shot down and the ongoing search operation would not affect the indirect negotiations between the US and Iran.
Meanwhile, Iranian media reported that local forces in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad provinces, including tribes and villagers, have brought personal weapons to participate in searching for US pilots throughout the mountains and plains.
Iran has also stepped up search operations after information that the US launched a rescue operation using Black Hawk helicopters, C-130 transport aircraft and reconnaissance UAVs, but has not achieved results.
The search area shows that the US has not accurately identified the location of the missing pilot, although pilots are usually connected to GPS positioning systems after parachuting.
