TEHRAN, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said on Sunday it has completely destroyed a U.S. E-3 Sentry aircraft equipped with an airborne warning and control system (AWACS) in a recent missile and drone operation against the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement published on its official news outlet Sepah News, the IRGC said the operation was conducted by its Aerospace Division.
Other nearby aircraft also sustained serious damage during the strike, it added.
On Friday, the IRGC attacked the Prince Sultan Air Base, located some 96km (60 miles) southeast of the Saudi capital Riyadh, damaging several KC-135 aerial refueling tankers and destroying one completely.
Meanwhile, Iran's army said on Sunday its air defense systems shot down an invading MQ-9 Reaper drone east of the Strait of Hormuz, the official news agency IRNA reported.
The country's air defense forces have brought down 138 drones since the beginning of the war, according to the report.
On Feb. 28, Israel and the United States launched joint attacks on Tehran and several other Iranian cities, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, along with senior military commanders and civilians. Iran responded by launching waves of missile and drone strikes targeting Israel and U.S. bases and assets in the Middle East. ■
