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Four US service members were killed when a refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, as confirmed by US authorities.
The United States Central Command reported that rescue teams are still searching for two additional crew members who were on board the aircraft when it went down on Thursday afternoon.
The identities of the deceased are being withheld until their families have been notified. Officials indicated that the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, but the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation.
The aircraft involved was a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker operated by the United States Air Force. It crashed at approximately 2 PM Eastern Time (7 PM GMT) on March 12. Two aircraft were part of the operation, and CentCom confirmed that the second KC-135 landed safely.
Despite US officials ruling out hostile action, the Iran-backed militia group Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft in a statement broadcast on Iraqi state television. The group stated that the attack was conducted “in defence of our country’s sovereignty and airspace.”
The crash took place in a remote desert region of western Iraq, where several pro-Iranian Shia militias operate, and which has previously been the site of US and Israeli airstrikes. The tanker was supporting ongoing US military operations against Iran by refuelling combat aircraft in mid-air.
This incident brings the total number of US personnel killed since the start of the conflict with Iran to 11, and the US military has now lost at least four aircraft during the ongoing conflict.
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