MBABANE: Four United States service members were killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday afternoon, officials confirmed as reported by Fox News.
But this is not the first US aircraft crash since the war erupted, Iran has been escalating retaliatory strikes against Israel and United States targets in the Middle East even though the US has not yet confirmed if the crash is linked to the war.
“A U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq around 2 p.m. ET, U.S. Central Command confirmed early Friday. Four of the six crew members aboard the aircraft have been confirmed dead as rescue efforts continue. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation. Officials said the loss of the aircraft was not the result of hostile fire or friendly fire. The identities of the service members are being withheld pending notification of next of kin and will be released 24 hours after those notifications are complete,” reads the Fox News report in part.
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling tanker aircraft takes off from the Kadena Air Base airfield in Kadena town, west of Okinawa, southern Japan, Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)