🇺🇸🇮🇷 Al Jazeera reporting on the rescue mission in southwestern Iran:
— First report: Crew member from the downed F-15E has been recovered.
— Second report: "Confirmed rescued" but "not safe yet"; the rescue team must still successfully exfiltrate from Iran.
— Third report: U.S. rescue team "still needs to exfiltrate" airman from Iran.
All reports are based on a "U.S. government source."
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🇺🇸🇮🇷 BREAKING: The second U.S. F-15E crew member has been rescued and is safe after a "complex rescue operation" that began Friday morning, according to Fox News, citing two senior U.S. officials.
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🇺🇸🇮🇷 U.S. special forces rescued the second crew member of the downed F-15E in southwestern Iran, with the operation carried out by a specialized commando unit under heavy air cover, according to Axios.
U.S. Air Force jets struck Iranian forces to keep them away from the area, while President Trump and senior officials monitored the mission from the White House Situation Room.
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🇺🇸🇮🇷 NEW: The F-15E weapons systems officer ejected with the pilot after the jet was hit over southwest Iran and used SERE training to evade capture, hiding on an elevated ridge and putting out an emergency beacon, according to Fox News.
A large, multi-layered combat search and rescue mission followed, involving pararescue units and multiple branches of the U.S. military, with heavy air support used to keep Iranian forces at bay.
Ground fighting was reported, with Iranian IRGC and Basij forces reportedly taking casualties, though no Americans were killed.
The F-15E was largely destroyed on impact.
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🇺🇸🇮🇷 U.S. President Donald Trump on rescued Air Force officer:
WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!... GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!
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