A US military refueling plane crashes in Iraq

Washington (AFP) – US Central Command announced Thursday that an American military refueling plane that was participating in the operation against Iran had crashed in Iraq and that rescue efforts were underway.

It was not immediately clear whether there were any casualties. A US official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss developments in the situation, said that the KC-135 plane that crashed had at least five crew members on board.

The army said in a statement that the incident was not caused by hostile or friendly fire, and described the plane as a “loss.”

The US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said that two planes were involved in the accident, and that one of them landed safely and the other crashed in western Iraq.

A second US official, who likewise spoke on condition of anonymity, said the other plane involved was also a KC-135 oil tanker.

“More information will be provided as the situation develops,” Central Command said. “We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity to families of service members.”

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The tanker is the fourth plane whose crash has been publicly acknowledged as part of US military operations against Iran. Last week, friendly Kuwaiti fire mistakenly shot down three American fighter planes.

The US said all six crew members safely exited the F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition after being recovered.

The Pentagon said earlier this week that seven American soldiers have been killed in combat during the Iran war so far, while about 140 American soldiers have been wounded, including eight in serious condition.

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Both President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have warned that the Iran war is likely to claim more American lives before it ends.

Six fallen service members were killed when an Iranian drone struck an operations center in a civilian port in Kuwait. They were in the Army Reserve and worked in logistics, keeping the troops supplied with food and equipment.

They died one day after the United States and Israel launched the military campaign against Iran on February 28. The Islamic Republic retaliated with missiles and drones against Israel and several Gulf Arab states that host US armed forces.

The seventh American soldier died after being wounded during a March 1 attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

more: Read Trump’s full statement on the Iranian attack

Trump joined grieving families in a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base when the remains of the first six soldiers were returned to the United States. Vice President J.D. Vance, Hegseth and others praised the seventh transportation case as it arrived this week in Dover.

The KC-135 tanker involved in the recent incident is based on the same design as the Boeing 707 and entered military service more than 60 years ago. Like other long-serving aircraft, the aircraft has undergone numerous retrofits and upgrades over the years.

KC-135 tankers usually have a crew of three. It was not immediately clear what role the additional crew members were playing on the flight.

According to a report by the Congressional Research Service, last year the Air Force had a total of 376 KC-135s, including 151 in active duty, 163 in the Air National Guard and 62 in the Air Force Reserve.