Tehran, July 23 (RHC)-- A U.S. warplane has conducted some “dangerous” maneuvering at an appallingly close distance from a Beirut-bound Iranian airliner as passenger plane was flying over the Syrian capital Damascus, injuring some of the passengers.

The incident took place on Thursday involving the U.S. F-15 military aircraft and Mahan Air’s Flight 1152 that had taken off from Tehran and was en route to the Lebanese capital, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) News, the Iranian national broadcaster’s news outlet, reported.

The agency described the maneuvering as a “provocative and dangerous” action that forced the Iranian passenger plane’s pilot to precipitously lower the altitude.  It described the swift precaution taken by the pilot as “courageous” but said it led to some injuries among a number of the passengers.

Several passengers said their heads hit hard against the ceiling after the plane had to swoop lower.  Footage, meanwhile, showed blood running from the top of the head of one and several others, who had suffered injures, while one passenger was seen lying down apparently unconscious on the airplane’s floor.

“It was a fighter plane.  It was flying precisely side by side this plane,” one said.  Another video showed the U.S. warplane flying away at breakneck speed over the Syrian airspace after the incident.