Three U. S. Air Force F-15E fighter jets crashed in Kuwait on the morning of March 2 after being mistakenly engaged by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly fire incident. The information was officially released by U. S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

According to CENTCOM, the aircraft were shot down during active combat operations. All six crew members ejected safely, were evacuated, and are reported to be in stable condition.

Kuwaiti authorities have confirmed the incident and announced the launch of an investigation. CENTCOM expressed appreciation for Kuwait’s defense forces and their support in the ongoing U.S. operation against Iran.

Debris from one of the downed jets fell onto the grounds of an oil refinery, injuring at least two employees.

Earlier, U.S. command reported its first casualties in the Middle East conflict that began on February 28. CENTCOM stated that three American service members were killed at a base in Kuwait, with five others sustaining serious injuries.

On the same morning, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed that Iranian forces had shot down three American fighter jets. Tehran also reported a strike on the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Israel Defense Forces dismissed those statements, describing them as fiction.