The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Thursday confirmed that a refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq. However, officials confirmed that the crash was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire. Rescue efforts were underway.
CENTCOM, which oversees the Middle East, said in a statement that the two KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft were involved in the incident. One landed safely, while the other went down in western Iraq.
FOLLOW: US Iran war news LIVE: US military plane crashes in Iraq; Fresh explosions rock Tehran
The command said ‘it is aware of the loss of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft. The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing. Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely. This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire’.
It is unclear whether the pilot and crew members survived the crash.
Over 150 US troops injured in US-Iran war
Since the US and Israel started carrying out strikes against Iran on February 28, seven U.S. troops have been killed. Reuters ​reported on Tuesday that as many as 150 US troops have been wounded in the US-Israeli war on Iran.
Early in the conflict in the Middle East, Kuwaiti forces accidentally shot down three US F-15E fighter jets in an incident of friendly fire. According to US Central Command, the aircraft were lost during intense combat operations that involved attacks from Iranian aircraft as well as ballistic missiles and drones. Despite the loss of the jets, all six crew members aboard the fighters were able to eject safely.
The war itself began on February 28, and the friendly-fire episode occurred in the early stages of the fighting.
More recently, the loss of a KC-135 tanker aircraft has brought the total number of US military aircraft destroyed during the conflict to at least four.
The KC-135 Stratotanker has been a key part of the US Air Force fleet for more than six decades. The aircraft is primarily used for aerial refueling missions, extending the range and endurance of other military planes during operations.
A standard KC-135 flight typically includes three crew members – a pilot, a copilot and a boom operator who controls the refueling boom used to transfer fuel to other aircraft, according to the Air Force.
However, some missions require an additional navigator, and the aircraft can also carry passengers. An Air Force fact sheet notes that the KC-135 is capable of transporting up to 37 people depending on the mission requirements.
(With AFP inputs)
