Iran Claims Downing Two Israeli Jets and Capturing Female Pilot
Iran has launched around 200 missiles toward Israel under Operation True Promise 3
According to the Iranian news agency IRNA, Iran has initiated a decisive counter-operation named “Operation True Promise 3” in response to Israeli attacks. Iranian forces claim to have shot down two Israeli warplanes and captured a female pilot during the operation conducted on Iranian soil.
Iranian official military media reported that during clashes between Iran’s defensive units and Israeli enemy targets, multiple projectiles, micro air vehicles, and drones were destroyed.
According to the Tasnim news agency, Iran’s air defence forces have shot down two Israeli F-35 fighter jets and intercepted several hostile drones. Tasnim also reported that one female pilot has been taken into custody.
This retaliation follows a major Israeli strike early on June 13, which targeted Iran’s nuclear and military sites, killing four senior military officers, including Major General Mohammad Bagheri, head of the Iranian Armed Forces, and Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, along with six nuclear scientists. Iranian media reported that the attacks also resulted in the deaths of 78 civilians, including women and children, and caused dozens of injuries.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned that Israel’s nighttime attacks have sealed a bitter and painful fate for the Israeli government.
Meanwhile, Israel has declared a state of emergency following Iran’s retaliatory drone strikes, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructing citizens to follow military guidance and prepare for prolonged sheltering.
The escalating conflict marks a significant intensification in hostilities between Iran and Israel, with both sides suffering heavy losses and issuing stern warnings of further military action.
According to the Israeli rescuers, seven people were injured on Friday in the centre of the country, shortly after Iran fired a salvo of missiles at Israel.
Speaking on Israel’s Channel 12, Eli Bin, the spokesman for the Magen David Adom rescue service, said that seven people were lightly injured in central Israel. Images on Channel 12 showed what appeared to be a building hit by a missile.
