US strikes kill 19 in Iran, including three pilots

At least 19 people, including three Iranian military pilots, were killed in recent US strikes across Iran, according to Iranian state media and other reports.

The three pilots were identified as Mojtaba Bagheri, Hamed Okati and Hossein Mahdavian. Bagheri and Okati were navy pilots, while Mahdavian served in the air force.

Iranian authorities have not said whether the three were flying combat aircraft or taking part in military operations when the strikes occurred. Six other navy personnel were also reported killed.

Iranian state media said the US bombardment on Tuesday and Wednesday killed at least 19 people across the country, including military personnel and civilians.

Seven people were reported killed in Khuzestan province, while four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in Kermanshah province, according to reports. Three paramilitary personnel were also killed on Lavan Island in the Persian Gulf, and another person died in Fars province.

Iranian officials also linked the deaths of four people at a wedding ceremony in Hormozgan province to the US strikes, although details of the casualties were not immediately available.

It was unclear whether the six navy personnel reported killed in Khuzestan were among seven deaths previously announced in the province. As a result, the possibility of duplication in Iran’s reported casualty figures could not be ruled out.

Sources: Iran International, AFP