A Kuwaiti man threatened a US military pilot with a metal pipe after mistaking him for an Iranian soldier, dramatic new footage shows.
The unidentified man was one of six crew members aboard three F-15 US fighter jets that were mistakenly shot down by air defences in Kuwait on Monday.
The soldier landed next to a motorway in the Gulf country, with footage showing black plumes of smoke rising in the distance after the crash. One of his colleagues is seen beyond a chain link fence.
As they struggle to their feet, they are surrounded by a group of angry locals. One man brandishes what appears to be a metal pipe, as others shout at the man to “get down!”. The pilot in return is heard shouting: “Back up. Stop.”
The situation is diffused when the man says: “I’m American”, which appears to reassure the two men.
The footage contrasts with a separate video published on social media of a fallen female US pilot, who was helped by locals after her aircraft was shot out of the sky.
In the footage, one person asks: “You need something to help you?”, while another adds: “No problem, you are safe, you are safe. Everything good? Thank you for helping us.”
US Central Command (Centcom) said the three fighter jets had been downed in an apparent “friendly fire” during a military operation against Iran. All six crew ejected safely and have been recovered, they added.
A Kuwaiti defence spokesperson said that “direct coordination was conducted with the friendly U.S. forces regarding the circumstances of the incident, and joint technical measures were taken.”
They added: “Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”
At least six US military personnel have been killed since joint US-Israeli strikes were launched against Iran over the weekend, killing the government’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
General Dan Caine, the US government’s chief of joint staffs, paid condolences to the fallen soldiers in a statement on Monday.
Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the Gulf, including on a US military base in Qatar and Kuwait as well as a strike on the Aramco Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia.
Iran’s proxy group Hezbollah in Lebanon has also entered the fray, promising to avenge the death of the Ayatollah. Israel on Monday launched strikes against southern Lebanon and Beirut, killing 31 people.
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