(George Wilson/NurPhoto via AP)
Two U.S. military HH-60W helicopters deployed on high-risk search and rescue missions over Iran were hit by Iranian artillery fire while trying to rescue the crew from a downed fighter jet.
A U.S. official confirmed to NBC News that the helicopters were involved in the search for the crew of an F-15E Strike Eagle that was downed over Iranian territory. Despite the attack, all service members on board the helicopter were reportedly safe, the official said. One F-15E crew member has been rescued by a rescue team, but the fate of the second crew member remains unclear as the U.S. military continues intensive rescue efforts.
The F-15E was shot down on Friday, the first known U.S. fighter jet to be shot down over hostile territory since the conflict began last month, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.
Open-source images circulating online appear to show U.S. helicopters and C-130 tankers flying over Iranian territory. Major networks including NBC and CNN shared the following clip of a C-130 refueling two helicopters in the air:
Another circulating video, reportedly recorded from the ground in Iran, appears to show a helicopter coming under small arms fire from local police as it flew over a field during a mission, according to analysts @OSINTTechnical. This clip was forwarded by new york times reporter Christian Tribert.
Around the same time the F-15E was shot down, another U.S. Air Force A-10 Warthog crashed in the Persian Gulf near the Strait of Hormuz. The pilot of the plane was rescued safely.
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