US special forces were forced to destroy two of their C-130 transport planes during the rescue operation for the pilot of a US Air Force F-15E fighter jet shot down by Iran, according to a source familiar with the matter, reports ABC News.

According to the source, the plane got stuck in mud when the search and rescue team landed in Iranian territory. The source added that the US military deliberately destroyed the planes to prevent them from falling into Iranian hands. As a result, the US command was forced to send three more planes to evacuate the wounded pilot and special forces units from Iran to Kuwait, the source added.

As per the BBC, the F-15E fighter jet crashed on Friday in a mountainous area southeast of Isfahan. It was there that the search and evacuation operations for the second American pilot were underway. The first pilot was found and evacuated the same day by rescuers from Iran.

According to CBS News, about 100 American special forces and dozens of combat aircraft participated in the aforesaid operation.