Four of the six crew members aboard a U.S. military refuelling aircraft have died after the plane crashed in neighbouring Iraq, according to the United States Central Command.
In a statement on Friday, the command said the aircraft — a Boeing KC‑135 Stratotanker — was part of ongoing US military operations connected to the conflict with Iran.
The military said rescue operations were still ongoing at the crash site while investigations had begun to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
However, officials stressed that preliminary findings indicated the aircraft was not brought down by enemy action.
“The loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” the command said.
The latest fatalities bring the number of U.S. service members killed in operations linked to the conflict involving Iran to at least 11.
Boluwatife Enome
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