Three US F-15E Strike Eagles flying in support of Operation Epic Fury went down over Kuwait due to an apparent friendly fire incident, the US Central Command  (Centum) said in a X message.

Earlier, Kuwait's Ministry of Defense announced that "several" US military aircraft crashed earlier in the day, confirming that all crew members survived the incident.

In a statement, Col Saudi Al Atwan, the official spokesperson of the ministry, said the relevant authorities immediately initiated search and rescue operations. The crews were evacuated from the crash sites and transferred to the hospital to assess their condition and provide necessary medical care, noting that their health condition is stable, a KUNA report said.

Al Atwan added that direct coordination took place with US forces regarding the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Centum also said four US service members have been killed in action so far. The fourth service member, who was seriously wounded during Iran’s initial attacks, eventually succumbed to their injuries. Major combat operations continue, it said.