Rescue Helicopters Hit by Iranian Fire During Daring Mission to Find Downed Pilot

(Photo: George Wilson/NurPhoto via AP)

Two US military HH-60W helicopters, assigned to a high-risk search and rescue mission over Iran, were hit by Iranian fire while trying to rescue the crew of the crashed warplane.

A US official confirmed to NBC News that helicopters were involved in efforts to find the crew of an F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft that was shot down over Iranian territory. Despite being under fire, all service personnel on board the helicopters were reported safe, the official said. While one F-15E crew member was rescued by the team, the fate of the second remains unclear as US forces continue intensive rescue efforts.

According to US and Israeli officials, the F-15E was shot down on Friday; This was the first known loss of a US warplane over enemy territory since the conflict began last month.

In open source images circulating on the internet, US helicopters and C-130 tanker planes are seen operating in Iranian territory. Major networks, including NBC and CNN, shared the following clip of a C-130 refueling both helicopters mid-air:

In another video reportedly recorded from the ground in Iran, a helicopter is seen flying over a field while on duty and firing small arms fire at people identified as local police, according to analyst @OSINTTechnical. The clip was retweeted New York Times journalist Christian Triebert.

At approximately the same time as the F-15E was shot down, a separate US Air Force A-10 Warthog crashed Near the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf region. The pilot of that plane was rescued safely.

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