The pilot of a US jet shot down by Iranian forces has been rescued in an operation that involved dozens of aircraft, President Donald Trump said. The missing crew member was on board a F-15 jet, which was shot down on Friday by Iranian forces. One service member was rescued within a few hours of the incident, while a search operation for the second continued throughout Friday and Saturday.

It has now been confirmed that the missing crew member has been located and rescued, with Mr Trump saying on Easter Sunday he “sustained injuries, but he will be just fine”. This was “the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in enemy territory,” Mr Trump said.

A rescue mission was launched after the plane was downed. It involved hundreds of special forces personnel along with several dozen warplanes and helicopters, according to the US President. Mr Trump said the US military “sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons” to rescue the missing crew member. Meanwhile, another crew member was rescued shortly after the crash and received medical assistance.

The CIA was also allegedly involved with a “deception campaign”. According to Fox News Chief National Security Correspondent Jennifer Griffin, “the CIA first launched a deception campaign spreading word inside Iran that U.S. forces had already found him and were moving him on the ground for exfiltration out of the country”. She went on to claim: “While the Iranians were confused and uncertain of what was happening, the Agency used its unique, exquisite capabilities to search for — and find — the American airman.”

This was the ultimate ‘needle in a haystack,’ the journalist also said, adding that once the officer’s exact location was shared with the Pentagon and The White House, Mr Trump “ordered an immediate rescue mission, which CENTCOM executed with boldness and precision, with CIA continuing to provide real time information”.

There are limited information regarding where the airman hid and how he managed to escape a manhunt in Iran after the jet was downed. Finding the downed airman, who had been hiding behind enemy lines with little more than a pistol as defence, had been the US military’s highest priority over the last 48 hours, the New York Times report.

After ejecting from the F-15E, it is believed the officer hid in a mountain crevice, with his location initially unknown to either Americans trying to rescue him, or Iranians trying to capture him, it was also reported. Local Iranian authorities announced a $66,000 reward for those who could find the missing US crew member. Iranian state media had urged civilians to participate in the search during Friday night broadcasts, informing audiences: “If you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police you will receive a precious prize.”

The missing airman could become a propaganda prize for the Iranian regime if caught, analysts as the rescue mission was ongoing, evoking memories of the ordeal endured by British RAF pilot John Peters and navigator John Nichol, who were displayed on television and detained for 47 days during the Gulf War.

The Iranian military claimed on Good Friday to have downed an F-35 over central Iran. The country’s news agency Mehr has also circulated an alleged appeal from local police urging locals to hunt down any downed pilots. Analysis of pictures circulated by Iranian media showed the downed plane was likely an F-15.

The location where the US jet was downed was unconfirmed. Iran’s state media, however, mentioned the provinces of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, and Khuzestan. Two crew members were on board the jet. The operation is believed to have also involved an A-10 Warthog aircraft, which was hit over the Gulf. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also claimed nomadic tribes living in the country’s mountains shot two Black Hawk helicopters, the BBC reported.

But the country’s top joint military command also credited new Iranian air defence systems with hitting both US warplanes, according to a state news agency.

President Trump said US military “sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons” to rescue the missing crew member. “He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine. This miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation,” he also said.

He also added the operation was “one of the most daring search and rescue” missions in US history, and added that the retrieved crew member was a “highly respected colonel” and was pulled out from “deep in enemy territory”. Mr Trump also said the operation came “in addition to a successful rescue of another brave pilot”, which the US did not confirm “because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation”.

“This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies,” the US President added.