On Friday, the United States (US) Central Command confirmed that four crew members died after a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq.
In a statement released on its social media page, the command said the aircraft went down during operations linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region.
However, the authorities clarified that the incident was not caused by an attack.
According to the military, another aircraft involved in the operation was able to land safely after the incident occurred on Thursday at about 2:00 pm Eastern Time (1900 GMT).
Providing details in a message posted on X, CENTCOM said: ” Four of six members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue.”
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The officials added that investigations had begun to determine the cause of the crash.
The command also stressed that preliminary findings indicate the aircraft was not brought down by any form of attack. It said “the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
The fatalities increase the number of American personnel killed since the start of the conflict involving Iran to at least eleven.
Earlier, Iran’s military claimed that one of its allied groups operating in Iraq had shot down the aircraft using a missile and that all the crew members had been killed.
The group known as Islamic Resistance in Iraq also said it targeted another aircraft that managed to escape.
Since the conflict in the Middle East began on February 28, the alliance has repeatedly claimed responsibility for attacks against American interests across Iraq and other parts of the region, although it rarely provides specific details.
The KC-135 refueling aircraft has been in service for more than six decades and is commonly used by the United States Air Force to refuel other planes during missions.
While the aircraft normally operates with a crew of three, a pilot, a co-pilot and a boom operator responsible for refueling operations, some missions require an additional navigator. The aircraft can also carry as many as 37 passengers.
The latest crash marks at least the fourth American military aircraft loss since the conflict began.
Earlier in the war, three F-15E Strike Eagle jets were mistakenly shot down by allied forces over Kuwait, although all six crew members aboard those aircraft managed to eject safely.
