Trump Posts That Second Pilot from Downed Fighter Jet Has Been Found
U.S. President Trump posted on the social platform Truth Social, stating that he has located the second pilot from a U.S. military aircraft shot down in Iran.
He said: "We found him! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, U.S. forces have carried out one of the boldest rescue operations in American history, rescuing one of our outstanding crew officers—a highly respected colonel. I’m thrilled to announce that he is now safe and sound!"
Trump added that, under his directive, the U.S. military deployed dozens of combat aircraft equipped with the world’s most lethal weapons to carry out the rescue mission.
Earlier, according to a report by The Washington Post, the U.S. aircraft believed to have crashed in Iran was an F-15E fighter jet, carrying two crew members. On April 3, Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reported that Iranian forces may have captured a U.S. pilot. The Daily Telegraph wrote that U.S. forces successfully rescued the first pilot during an operation involving military helicopters and refueling aircraft, but their flight assets were attacked by Iranian forces. Due to damage, one of the helicopters began emitting smoke, but ultimately landed safely in Iraq.
Trump stated: "This miraculous rescue operation follows yesterday’s successful extraction of another courageous pilot. We did not confirm it earlier to avoid jeopardizing the second rescue mission. This marks the first time in U.S. military history that two American pilots have been successfully rescued separately deep inside enemy territory."
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched multiple strikes against targets inside Iran, including attacks on Tehran, resulting in destruction and civilian casualties. In response, Iran conducted retaliatory missile strikes on Israeli territory and U.S. military targets in the Middle East.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1861607851320320/
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