Four of the six crew members aboard a U.S. military refuelling aircraft have died after the plane crashed in western Iraq, according to the United States Central Command (Centcom).
Centcom said rescue operations are still ongoing following the crash of a KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft. Officials earlier stated that neither hostile nor friendly fire appeared to be responsible for bringing down the aircraft.
The tanker was part of ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran and was flying alongside another aircraft at the time of the incident. The second plane landed safely.
Manufactured by Boeing, the KC-135 is designed to refuel other aircraft in midair and has long played a key role in U.S. military operations. The aircraft type was used extensively during the Gulf War to extend the operational range of fighter jets and bombers.
Centcom said the crash occurred around 14:00 ET (19:00 GMT) on Thursday and that an investigation into the cause is underway. The identities of the deceased crew members are being withheld for 24 hours to allow authorities to notify their families.
A KC-135 typically carries a crew that includes a pilot, co-pilot and a boom operator who manages the aircraft’s refuelling arm.
Although the incident initially occurred in what officials described as friendly airspace, the area in western Iraq is known to have a presence of pro-Iranian militias. Iran’s military claimed on state television that an allied militia group had fired a missile at the aircraft.
Since the start of the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, seven American soldiers have been confirmed killed. The latest incident means the U.S. military has lost at least four aircraft during the ongoing war.
Earlier this month, three F-15 fighter jets were shot down in an apparent friendly-fire incident over Kuwait, though all six crew members ejected safely.
The KC-135 Stratotanker, first produced in the 1950s and early 1960s, remains a central component of the U.S. military’s aerial refuelling fleet, enabling combat aircraft to conduct longer missions without landing.