The United States military has confirmed that all six crew members aboard a refuelling aircraft were killed after the plane crashed in western Iraq. The incident occurred during military operations linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
According to the US Central Command, the aircraft went down on Thursday. Officials said another aircraft was involved in the incident, but the crash was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the accident.
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“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” US Central Command said in an official statement.
A US official told Reuters that the second aircraft involved in the incident landed safely. It was also identified as a KC-135 military refuelling aircraft.
The KC-135 aircraft, developed by Boeing in the 1950s and early 1960s, has long served as a key part of the US military’s aerial refuelling fleet. These aircraft allow fighter jets and other military planes to refuel while flying, enabling them to carry out long missions without landing.
The crash comes as the United States has deployed a large number of aircraft to the Middle East for operations related to the escalating conflict with Iran. Experts say such missions carry risks, especially when aircraft are conducting complex mid-air refuelling operations.
Meanwhile, a group of Iran-backed armed factions claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft. However, US officials have not confirmed those claims and continue to say that hostile fire was not the cause of the crash.
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The tragedy adds to the growing number of US casualties linked to the conflict. Earlier, seven US troops were killed when a drone struck a US military facility in Port Shuaiba in Kuwait. Reports also suggest that as many as 150 US troops have been wounded since operations began.
On the same day as the crash, two US sailors were injured after a non-combat-related fire broke out on board the aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford.
President Donald Trump and other senior officials have warned that the ongoing conflict with Iran could lead to further US military casualties as Tehran continues to respond to American and Israeli strikes in the region.
