A second US fighter jet crew that was shot down has been successfully rescued and evacuated safely out of Iran, according to Donald Trump. The airman had been on board an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down over Iranian airspace on Friday.
Trump, confirming the development, said the mission was one of the most bold search and rescue of the US history and that the rescued officer was safe and sound. The F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-crew aircraft and generally a two-person aircraft with both being the victims of the accident.
One of the crew members had been already rescued earlier, and the fate and location of a second one were not clearly known. The airman could escape Iranian authorities almost two days before he was found by the rescue teams, according to US officials cited in media reports. It is reported that the extraction was a heavy firefight, showing that the operation was very risky.
The rescue operation had already been reported by the officials to be underway and that retrieving the crew member out of Iran was going to be a big challenge without any safe methods. Another thing that Trump spoke about is the previous rescue of the first pilot, which both people are commended by their bravery and service.
The second rescued crew member was a senior officer and a very respected colonel, which made the operation even more important. The incident has brought to light the growing tensions in the area and the dangers to the military personnel who work in hostile conditions.