Iranian bombers came within two minutes of striking the largest base housing US troops in the Middle East before the Qatari Air Force shot down the aircraft, according to a new report.
The SU-24 planes from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard had targeted al-Udeid Air Base Monday – which is home to around 10,000 US service personnel – until they were intercepted by a Qatari F-15 jet and the military’s warplanes, CNN reported.
One source told the outlet that the SU-24 planes were “carrying bombs and guided munitions.”
The Iranian planes dropped to an altitude of around 80 feet in a bid to avoid detection before Qatar responded by deploying its fleet, according to the outlet.
The SU24s were downed in Qatar’s waters.
“Qatari fighters for the first time have shot down two Iranian bombers on route to their location,” Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.
The Iranian air force is estimated to have approximately 20 Soviet and Russian-made Su-24s in its inventory.
