The United States military on Friday confirmed that four crew members died after a KC135 aerial refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq.
The development was disclosed by the United States Central Command in a statement released on X, noting that the incident occurred on Thursday.
CENTCOM said four of the six personnel on board the aircraft had been confirmed dead, while rescue operations were still ongoing to locate the remaining crew members.
The command also clarified that the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, adding that investigations had commenced to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
It further revealed that another aircraft involved in the operation landed safely after the crash.
The latest fatalities increase the number of American service members who have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict involving Iran to at least 11.
Earlier, Iran’s military had claimed that an allied armed group in Iraq shot down the aircraft with a missile, alleging that all those on board were killed.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a coalition of Iran backed factions, also claimed responsibility for targeting the aircraft and said another plane escaped after coming under attack.
The KC135 tanker aircraft, which has been in service for more than six decades, is primarily used by the US Air Force to refuel other aircraft during flight and can also transport additional personnel when necessary.
