A Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft operated by the United States Air Force crashed in western Iraq, killing four crew members, the military said on Friday.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said the incident was not caused by hostile or friendly fire.
According to the command, the crash occurred at about 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time (1900 GMT) on Thursday during an operation involving two aircraft. The second plane landed safely.
“Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X.
The command added that an investigation had been launched into the cause of the crash.
“The loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” the statement said.
The fatalities bring the number of US service members killed in the ongoing conflict with Iran to at least 11.
However, Iran’s military earlier claimed that an allied militia in Iraq had shot down the aircraft with a missile, killing all those on board.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of Iran-backed Iraqi armed groups also claimed responsibility, saying it had downed a KC-135 and targeted another aircraft that escaped.
Since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict on February 28, the alliance has claimed daily attacks on US interests in Iraq and elsewhere in the region, though it rarely identifies specific targets.
The KC-135 is at least the fourth US military aircraft lost during the conflict, following the earlier loss of three F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets that were mistakenly shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait.
According to the US Air Force, the KC-135, an aerial refuelling aircraft that has been in service for more than 60 years typically operates with a crew of three: a pilot, co-pilot and boom operator responsible for refuelling other aircraft mid-flight.
Some missions may include a navigator, and the aircraft can carry up to 37 passengers, according to an Air Force factsheet.
Earlier in the conflict, Kuwaiti forces mistakenly shot down three American F-15E fighters. All six crew members aboard those jets managed to eject safely, CENTCOM said at the time.
The incident occurred amid intense combat operations involving Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones, the command added.
