Le Koweït a abattu "par erreur" des avions de combat américains (Pentagone)
The three American fighter jets that crashed in Kuwait were shot down "by mistake" by its air defenses, the US military said Monday, as several sites were targeted in the Gulf country.
Iran has been conducting strikes against wealthy Gulf states since Saturday, in retaliation for the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an Israeli-American attack.
On Sunday evening, "during an intense confrontation, including attacks by Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones", American fighter jets "were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses", announced the U.S. military command for the Middle East, Centcom.
The six crew members ejected and are safe and sound, he said in a statement.
Kuwaiti authorities had earlier indicated that they had "immediately launched" search and rescue operations after the crash, and proceeded to evacuate the crews and transfer them to the hospital.
Kuwait indicated that it had intercepted drones targeting its territory, where the Iranian army claimed to have targeted the American airbase at Ali Al-Salem.
Thick black smoke rose from the US embassy in the morning, an AFP journalist reported.
The embassy did not say whether its building had been hit, but it issued a statement urging people "not to come to the embassy," citing a "persistent threat of missile and drone attacks."
Embassy staff are "confined to the premises," she added.
Smoke rising above a power plant in the north of the country was also observed by three witnesses.
The national oil company, Kuwait National Petroleum Company, indicated that debris had fallen on the Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery, one of the largest in the country, injuring two workers, but without disrupting operations.
Dana Abbas, a Kuwait City resident and engineer, said she was worried about the escalation, telling AFP that she rushed to fill up her car and stock up on essential goods.
Six people have been killed in the Gulf since Saturday, all of foreign nationalities: one in Kuwait, three in the Emirates, one in Bahrain and one off the coast of Oman, in an attack on an oil tanker.
On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates announced that debris, as it fell, hit the facade of the Etihad Towers, which house diplomatic embassies, including that of Israel, slightly injuring a woman and a child.
On Monday morning, new explosions were heard in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama.
Iranian strikes, which targeted military bases but also civilian infrastructure, including residential buildings, hotels, airports and seaports, have shaken a region long considered a haven of peace and security in the Middle East.
Commentaires (7)
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté :
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter, TikTok ou Instagram pour l'afficher automatiquement.