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A United States military refueling aircraft has tragically crashed in western Iraq amid the ongoing US-Israel tensions with Iran. The incident comes at a time of heightened military operations in the region.
An official, who requested anonymity, revealed to the Associated Press that there were at least five crew members aboard the aircraft when it went down. The immediate focus is on rescue operations, which are currently underway, according to a US military spokesperson on Thursday.
The aircraft was reportedly involved in operations against Iran. However, the crash has been confirmed as not resulting from either hostile or friendly fire. Details regarding casualties remain unclear as the situation develops.
In a statement, US Central Command, which manages operations in the Middle East, indicated that two aircraft were involved in this incident, categorizing the second aircraft’s involvement as “a loss.” The exact circumstances surrounding this loss are still under investigation.
US Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said in a statement that two aircraft were involved in the incident. It described the latter as ‘a loss.’
‘The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing,’ a spokesperson said.
‘One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely.’
The refueling plane is part of the operation against Iran and went down in western Iraq
A United States Air Force refueling plane has gone down in Iraq during the US-Israel conflict with Iran. Pictured: A US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker refueling a Navy Super Hornet during Operation Epic Fury earlier Thursday
Smoke rises from the site of a drone crash on the outskirts of Erbil, Iraq
The KC-135 tankers typically have a crew of three. It was not immediately clear what role the extra crew members were performing aboard the flight, though the Air Force website notes crews of five can be ‘added for aeromedical evacuation missions.’
The KC-135 tankers typically have a crew of three. It was not immediately clear what role the extra crew members were performing aboard the flight.
A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a developing situation, said the other plane involved also was a KC-135 tanker.
‘More information will be made available as the situation develops,’ Central Command added.
‘We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members.’
A KC-135 tanker declared an emergency before attempting to land in Tel Aviv Thursday evening, according to FlightRadar24.
The tanker is the fourth aircraft to crash as part of the US military’s operations against Iran.
Last week, the military confirmed that three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly fire in Kuwait.
A US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a developing situation, said the other plane involved also was a KC-135 tanker
A Kuwaiti pilot flying an American-made fighter jet mistakenly shot down three US F-15 planes amid a friendly fire blunder, it has been revealed. In this image, a US airman who parachuted out of his jet can be seen backing up after he was mistaken for an Iranian pilot by Kuwaiti locals
All six crew members safely ejected from the F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition after being recovered, the US said.
Seven American troops have been killed in combat during the Iran war so far. Six of the service members were killed when an Iranian drone struck an operations center at a civilian port in Kuwait.
The seventh died after being wounded during an attack on the Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
About 140 US service members have been wounded, including eight severely, the Pentagon said earlier this week.
Elsewhere today, Iran insisted it is not laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz after an expert warned unmanned naval attack drones could ‘create havoc’ along the vital waterway.
The country’s deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said: ‘Some countries have already talked to us about passing the Strait and we have cooperated with them.’
But he issued a warning to nations which ‘joined the aggression’, arguing they should not expect to ‘benefit from safe passage’.
The country has recently claimed its arsenal of unmanned naval attack drones is ‘huge’ and BBC’s diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams said today: ‘If [Iran] can continue to deploy them without being detected and destroyed, then its ability to create havoc in one of the world’s most important waterways could last for some time.’
As the operation in Iran heads into its third week, Donald Trump said Thursday the war is moving ‘very rapidly’ even as Tehran’s new leader vowed defiance in his first public message.
‘The situation with Iran is moving along very rapidly. It’s doing very well, our military is unsurpassed,’ Trump said at the White House.
‘They really are a nation of terror and hate, and they’re paying a big price right now,’ added the US leader.