WASHINGTON -- US officials confirmed Friday that two US rescue helicopters involved in the search and rescue efforts for an F-15 fighter jet downed earlier on Friday were struck by Iranian fire, according to US media reports.

Crew members aboard the helicopters were unharmed, said an NBC News report, citing a US official.

Meanwhile, a second Air Force combat plane crashed in the Persian Gulf region on Friday, and the lone pilot was safely rescued, reported The New York Times, citing two US officials.

The officials said the A-10 Warthog attack plane went down near the Strait of Hormuz about the same time that the Air Force F-15E was shot down over Iran. One crew member was rescued and search-and-rescue operators are looking for the second airman.

Earlier on Friday, US officials confirmed that a US F-15E fighter was downed in southern Iran. While one crew member was rescued by US forces, the search and rescue mission is ongoing for the two-member crew aircraft.

It is the first known US warplane downed inside Iran since the United States and Israel launched massive attacks on Iran on Feb 28.