US special forces rescued overnight the second crew member from the F-15 shot down over Iran, after more than 36 hours of searches.
US President Donald Trump responded in a post on his social media platform: "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!"
The rescue mission was carried out by a special commando unit under extensive air cover. Special forces operated on the ground inside Iran on Friday and again on Saturday. On Saturday, the second crew member was located and the rescue operation began, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps simultaneously sent forces to the area to try to stop it. US fighter jets struck the Iranian forces in an effort to isolate the rescue zone.
According to The New York Times, the two aircraft that brought in the commando forces were stranded at the base where they landed in Iran. Three aircraft were sent in their place, and the stranded ones were blown up so they would not fall into Iranian hands. US media outlets also reported that local tribesmen assisted the navigator and the rescue forces, and that an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps force that reached the scene engaged in a fierce battle with the rescuers. Sources in Iran reported that at least several members of the Basij militia and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in the exchange of fire.
According to two of the sources, both crew members made contact using the communications equipment in their survival kits immediately after ejecting. The pilot was rescued several hours after the aircraft was shot down. Locating the weapons systems officer took more than a day. Fox News reported that the navigator moved away from the wreckage of his aircraft and climbed an isolated ridge, where he activated his rescue beacon.
The rescue took place in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in southwestern Iran. According to the ISNA news agency, a strike in the province resulted in dead and wounded. Videos circulating on social media showed heavy exchanges of fire and apparent missile launches.
