Four of the six crew members aboard a U.S. military aircraft that crashed in western Iraq have been confirmed dead, while rescue efforts continue for the remaining two.
The incident involved a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft, which crashed in western Iraq in a situation the military said involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.
U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said the crash occurred around 14:00 ET (19:00 GMT) yesterday, and that the circumstances of the incident are under investigation.
The military added that the identities of the personnel who died are being withheld for 24 hours to allow next of kin to be notified.
The KC-135 typically has a crew of at least a pilot, a co-pilot, and a boom operator, who controls the aircraft’s refueling arm.
Centcom described the crash as occurring over friendly airspace, though the area is known for activity by pro-Iranian militias. Iran’s military claimed on state TV that an allied group had targeted the plane with a missile.
Thursday’s crash brings the official U.S. military death toll in the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, which began two weeks ago, to 11.
The U.S. military has now lost at least four aircraft during the conflict. Earlier this month, three F-15s were shot down in what officials called “an apparent friendly fire incident” over Kuwait. All six crew members from that incident ejected safely.
The KC-135 Stratotanker, manufactured by Boeing in the 1950s and early 1960s, has long been a backbone of the U.S. military’s air refueling fleet. The aircraft are capable of refueling planes midair, allowing combat aircraft to carry out longer missions without landing.
The tanker had been involved in ongoing U.S. operations against Iran and was one of two aircraft involved in the recent incident. KC-135s have historically played a critical role in U.S. military operations, including the first Gulf War, by extending the range of fighter jets and bombers.
