A US military KC-135 military refueling plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday in an “incident” involving two aircraft that was not caused by “hostile or friendly fire”, US Central Command said, Reuters reports.
It is not clear yet if and how many victims there are. A US official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that the KC-135 aircraft that crashed had six military service members on board.
Meanwhile, US Central Command announced that “rescue operations are ongoing”, noting that another plane involved had landed safely.
“The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury,” CENTCOM said, using the military name for the US operation against Iran.
Who claimed the attack
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of armed factions backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for the downing of the US military refueling plane.
The group said in a statement that it shot down the KC-135 aircraft “in defense of our country's sovereignty and airspace.”
The KC-135 aircraft, built by Boeing BA.N in the 1950s and early 1960s, served as the backbone of the US military's aerial refueling fleet and is essential in allowing aircraft to complete missions without having to land.
The United States has deployed large numbers of aircraft to the Middle East to participate in attacks against Iran.
Since the US and Israel began launching attacks against Iran on February 28, seven US soldiers have been killed. The United States has launched strikes against more than 6,000 targets in Iran.
