Four US Crew Members Killed After Military Refuelling Aircraft Crashes in Iraq
Four crew members have been confirmed dead after a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker operated by the United States Air Force crashed in western Iraq, the military said on Friday.
In a statement, United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said the aircraft went down on Thursday afternoon while operating in the region. Two of the six crew members onboard survived, while search and rescue efforts continued following the incident.
“Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue,” CENTCOM said in a post on X.
Cause of crash under investigation
US officials said a second aircraft involved in the operation landed safely and confirmed that the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire.
An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the incident.
The deaths raise the number of US military personnel killed since the start of the conflict involving Iran to at least 11 service members, according to US military reports.
Conflicting claims over incident
Earlier, Iran’s military claimed that an allied armed group in Iraq had shot down the aircraft with a missile.
The group, known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq—a loose coalition of Iran-backed factions—also claimed responsibility for targeting another US aircraft, which it said managed to escape.
The alliance has repeatedly claimed attacks on US interests in Iraq and across the Middle East since the conflict began, although it rarely identifies specific targets.
Aircraft widely used for aerial refuelling
The KC-135 Stratotanker is a long-serving aerial refuelling aircraft that has been in operation for more than six decades, allowing fighter jets and other military aircraft to refuel mid-air during operations.
According to the US Air Force, the aircraft typically operates with a crew that includes a pilot, a co-pilot and a boom operator responsible for refuelling other aircraft in flight.
The latest crash marks at least the fourth US military aircraft lost since the outbreak of the regional conflict, after three McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle fighter jets were previously shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait.
US military authorities say the investigation will determine the circumstances surrounding the crash and whether mechanical or operational factors were involved.
