New Delhi, April 5 -- US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that an Air Force officer, whose fighter jet had been downed in Iran, was rescued in a daring nighttime operation. While Trump claimed that the officer was not critically injured, Washington did have to pay a price as the US forces reportedly destroyed some of their own aircraft during the withdrawal to prevent them from falling into enemy hands.

The Wall Street Journal, citing a source, said the aircraft involved were MC-130J planes, which are designed for covert missions such as inserting and extracting troops in hostile or enemy-controlled areas. The official did not provide details on how the planes became immobilized during the mission, but noted that they ultimatel...