Four of the six crew members have died after a U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, confirmed by the United States Central Command.
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker was involved in ongoing U.S. operations against Iran. According to the U.S. military, two aircraft were involved in the incident, while the second aircraft managed to land safely, reports BBC, cited by Gazeta Express.
Authorities stated that the crash occurred around 2:00 PM local time, and the cause of the accident is still under investigation. It was initially reported that the crash was not caused by hostile fire.
However, the area where the incident occurred is a region of Iraq with active pro-Iranian militias, and Iranian state media reported that an allied group had struck the aircraft with a missile.
The identities of the victims have not yet been released to allow authorities time to notify their families.
The KC-135, produced by Boeing, is used for in-air refueling of aircraft and has been a key component of U.S. air operations for decades.
