Four crew members have been confirmed killed after a United States military plane crashed in Iraq on Thursday.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) gave the confirmation.
CENTCOM, which oversees operations in the Middle East, said that two aircraft were involved in the incident at around 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, with one crashing in western Iraq and the other landing safely.
It added that four of the six members on board the aircraft that crashed had been confirmed dead, and that rescue efforts were ongoing.
■ What To Know
CENTCOM said that the crash involved a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft, and that the incident occurred over friendly airspace and did not involve hostile or friendly fire.
The identities of the service members involved in the crash have not yet been identified.
“The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified,” CENTCOM said.
A U.S. official told Reuters that the other aircraft involved in the incident was also a KC-135.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a group of Iran-backed militias, claimed responsibility for crash, according to Reuters. The group said it had shot down the aircraft “in defense of our country’s sovereignty and airspace.”
The KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft requires at least three crew members: a pilot, co-pilot and boom operator, according to the U.S. Air Force. It provides aerial refueling support to the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft.
Refueling aircraft have played a critical role since the start of the U.S. war with Iran on February 28, during which the U.S. has carried out airstrikes on thousands of targets.
Seven other U.S. service members have died since the outbreak of the war. Six fatalities occurred following an Iran attack on an operations center at a port in Kuwait on March 1. Another service member was wounded on the same day in an attack on Saudi Arabia, and died a week later.
Meanwhile, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles were shot down over Kuwait during a friendly fire incident, CENTCOM said.
“During active combat—that included attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones—the U.S. Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses,” it said.
“All six aircrew ejected safely, have been safely recovered, and are in stable condition. Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation.”
As many as 150 U.S. troops have been injured so far in the far, Reuters reported. Two U.S. sailors were injured in a fire on board the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford off Egypt on Thursday. CENTCOM said the fire was not combat related and that the sailors’ injuries were not life-threatening.
“There is no damage to the ship’s propulsion plant, and the aircraft carrier remains fully operational,” CENTCOM said.
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