The United States military stepped up efforts to rescue crew members from a crashed F-15E Strike Eagle in Iran on Friday. During the mission, more American aircraft involved in the operation were attacked, according to officials.

Reports from officials who spoke to CBS News revealed that an A-10 Warthog taking part in the rescue mission was hit. The pilot had to eject over the Persian Gulf but was later safely rescued.

In another incident, a helicopter used in the rescue operation was also attacked with gunfire. Some crew members on board were injured, but the helicopter managed to land safely. The injured personnel are now receiving medical care.

Earlier, the F-15E jet had been shot down in southwestern Iran, around the Khuzestan area, at about 06:45 ET.

So far, rescue teams have been able to save one of the two crew members from the crashed aircraft, using helicopters during the operation.

Search efforts are still ongoing to find and rescue the second crew member.

These attacks show how dangerous rescue missions can be, especially when they take place in areas with ongoing conflict.