US rescues 2nd F-15 pilot hit above Iran: Trump

ISTANBUL

President Donald Trump said Sunday that the US rescued a military officer, identified as a colonel, in "one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in US history."

Trump said on his Truth Social media platform that the officer was trapped behind enemy lines in Iran’s mountainous terrain and was being pursued by hostile forces before being safely recovered in a major military operation involving dozens of aircraft.

Noting that the officer suffered injuries, Trump said he "will be just fine."

He said the mission followed the separate rescue of another US pilot on Friday, which was not announced earlier to avoid jeopardizing the second operation.

"At my direction, the US Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him," he said. "This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory.”

He also claimed the operations were completed without any Americans killed or wounded.

Calling the missions proof of US air superiority over Iran, Trump praised the armed forces as "the best, most professional, and lethal military in the history of the World."

He said the rescues were a moment for all Americans to take pride in.

Fox News later reported that while the rescued officer is in critical condition, several US service members were also injured in the rescue, but all are now safe.

The weapon systems officer also reportedly hid on an elevated ridge after hiking away from the wreckage and put out an emergency beacon.

US aircraft struck Iranian convoys to keep them away from the airman’s location, as US forces converged on the downed airman, and a firefight erupted, two former senior military officials briefed on the operation told The New York Times.

Reports differed on whether a major firefight took place on the ground during the mission.

According to Fox News, there was a massive firefight, as well as a number of aircraft that had to be destroyed, and a A-10 Warthog that crashed on Friday in Kuwait was part of the rescue mission, while a lot of the details will not be coming out because it was such a complex mission.

Dozens of aircraft were involved in the rescue, with specialized commando forces and major air cover supporting the mission. The operation involved hundreds of special operations troops, helicopters, warplanes, and cyber, space, and other intelligence capabilities, The New York Times reported.

Two US Special Operations MC-130J aircraft were destroyed on the ground during the rescue mission after becoming stranded at a remote base in Iran, with commanders opting to detonate the disabled planes to prevent capture, according to The Wall Street Journal.