US confirms three fighter jets accidentally downed by Kuwait as Middle East conflict widens
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The news: US Central Command (Centcom) confirmed that three of its fighter jets were downed in an “apparent friendly fire” incident over Kuwait on Sunday, with all six crewmembers having ejected safely.
The context: An update from Centcom said at 1:03pm ET Sunday (5:03am AEDT Monday), three US. F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of the US’s military action in the Middle East, Operation Epic Fury, were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences.
It said that the incident occurred during active combat including attack from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones. The six crew were safely recovered and are in stable condition.
“Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation”, the update said.
The news comes as the conflict in the Middle East widened on Monday, the third day of attacks across the region, with Israel launching a series of strikes against Hezbollah forces in Lebanon after the Iran-backed group launched retaliatory attacks on Israel over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Meanwhile, Saudi Aramco halted operations at Saudi Arabia’s largest oil refinery, Ras Tanura, on Monday after a drone strike in the area, sources told Bloomberg. A limited fire at the plant was reportedly caused by debris from the interception of two drones that were targeting the facility. The plant which is a key global diesel supplier, typically producing 550,000 barrels per day. Qatar’s state-owned QatarEnergy also ceased production of LNG at its Ras Laffan complex following attacks.
The sources: US Central Command, Bloomberg, Reuters
