Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said helicopters sent into Iran to recover downed U.S. fighter pilots were attacked by villagers, not by regular military forces.
On April 4 local time, the IRGC praised “brave tribes” for demonstrating what it called Iran’s true strength on the battlefield and thanked the tribesmen involved.
The IRGC said tribes in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in southwest Iran, together with Bakhtiari nomads living in the mountains, effectively struck two U.S. Black Hawk helicopters.
Iranian outlets posted social media videos showing mountain villagers firing rifles and claimed the footage shows them shooting at U.S. helicopters.
Earlier in the area, a U.S. F-15E fighter jet crashed and both pilots ejected. U.S. forces dispatched an HH-60G rescue helicopter and a C-130 tanker, recovering one pilot.
The U.S. military said two helicopters came under fire from Iranian forces during the operation, wounding some personnel, but both aircraft returned to base.
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Subin Kim (soup@yna.co.kr)
