Washington DC, Sept. 14 -- A US Air Force colonel survived nearly 50 hours behind Iranian lines after his F-15E fighter jet was shot down in April, before being rescued in an operation involving US military and intelligence personnel, according to CBS News' "60 Minutes" show.

The officer, identified by his mission call sign "Bravo" because of security concerns, was the weapons-systems officer aboard the two-seat fighter jet. The aircraft, operating under the mission call sign "Dude 44", was reported to be shot down by an "Iranian shoulder-fired missile" on April 2 during a mission near Isfahan.

According to CBS News, the aircraft was conducting a strike against industrial facilities linked to Iran's drone and missile programme. Bravo an...