According to them, two Su-24 bombers sent by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were heading to Al-Udeid airbase in Doha on March 2, where about 10 thousand American troops are stationed. Another possible target was the gas complex in Ras Laffan, a key facility for Qatar's economy.
The fighters were “two minutes” from their targets, one of the sources said. A second source said the planes were visually identified and photographed “with bombs and guided munitions.”
The planes were flying at a very low altitude, trying to evade the radar. After a radio warning to which the crews did not respond, the Qatari military classified them as hostile targets. F‑15 Eagle fighters were scrambled into the air and shot down both planes. They fell into the territorial waters of Qatar.
The incident was the first air combat for the Qatari Air Force. This was confirmed by US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Kane, who said that Qatari fighters were the first to destroy Iranian bombers on approach to their target.
The attack comes amid a major escalation following US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Iran has since fired more than 400 ballistic missiles and over 1,000 drones at Gulf countries.
Despite intercepting most of the attacks, one Iranian missile previously hit a facility at the Shuaibah port in Kuwait, killing six U.S. service members.
