US President Donald Trump on June 9 said Iran had shot down a US Army Apache helicopter while it was patrolling over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, warning that Washington would have to respond to the incident.
In a post on social media, Trump said that he had been informed by the US military that Iranian forces were responsible for bringing down the aircraft during an overnight patrol mission. He added that the two pilots on board survived the incident without injuries.
“I have just been informed by our Great Military that last night the Iranians shot down one of our highly sophisticated Apache Helicopters while patrolling over the Strait of Hormuz. There were two pilots involved, both are safe and uninjured. Nevertheless, the United States must, of necessity, respond to this attack,” Trump wrote.
According to Reuters, citing information from the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the two soldiers aboard the AH-64 Apache were located and rescued after the helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz. CENTCOM said an unspecified US Navy surface drone played a key role in finding the crew members. The rescue effort involved US Naval Forces Central Command’s (NAVCENT) Task Force 59. The exact system used was not disclosed.
