The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, resulting in the deaths of four crew members.
According to CENTCOM, the incident occurred at approximately 2:00 PM Eastern Time on March 12, when the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, a military aerial refueling aircraft used by the United States Air Force, went down during operations in the region.
Officials stated that four crew members have been confirmed dead, while two additional crew members remain missing. Search and rescue operations are currently underway to locate the missing personnel.
CENTCOM clarified that the loss of the aircraft was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire, indicating that the crash does not appear to be linked to enemy action.
Authorities have not yet released further details about the cause of the crash, and an investigation into the incident is expected to follow.
More updates are expected as rescue efforts and assessments continue.