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Iraqi police authorities in Basra dispatched search teams to locate an American pilot after an aircraft reportedly crashed within the southern province on Thursday, according to Al Jazeera Arabic, in an unconfirmed incident.
The Basra Police Command told Al Jazeera Arabic that its units had been deployed to search for an American pilot whose aircraft came down within the province's borders. The pilot had not been located at the time of the report.
While the police statement referenced a crash, unverified social media accounts went further, alleging that a U.S. fighter jet had been shot down over Basra. The distinction between a mechanical failure, an accident, and a hostile shootdown remains unclear, and no official source has confirmed the cause of the incident.
As of the time of these reports, U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, had not issued any statement confirming or denying the alleged incident.
US official speaking to to Al Jazeera later denied reports claiming a US fighter jet was shot down over Basra province in southern Iraq
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