A United States KC‑135 tanker crashed in western Iraq, killing four of the six crew members. The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed on Friday that rescue attempts are still ongoing and that the cause of the incident will be investigated. It added that the crash was not due to enemy or friendly fire.
The identities of the deceased soldiers will only be revealed 24 hours after the next of kin are notified. The tanker was part of the current U.S. air campaign against Iran, and it was one of two aircraft involved in the incident; the other plane managed to land safely.
The accident occurred over airspace that is not hostile, although pro‑Iran militias operate in that region. On state television, the Iranian military claimed that a tied‑to‑Iran group had struck the aircraft with a missile. Since the outbreak of the U.S.‑Israel‑Iran conflict, seven U.S. soldiers have been killed, and U.S. forces have lost at least four aircraft in the ongoing war.
