All six crew confirmed dead after US military plane crash in Iraq

US Air Force KC-135 refueling aircraft, a decades-old tanker used for aerial refueling missions. (Photo/Reuters)

All six crew members aboard a United States KC-135 refueling aircraft have been confirmed dead following a crash in western Iraq. United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that the aircraft went down on Thursday, explicitly ruling out hostile or friendly fire as the cause of the incident. This official assessment stands in stark contrast to reports from Iranian state media, which alleged that resistance factions utilized missiles to strike the aircraft. CENTCOM confirmed that a second tanker involved in the mission landed safely, while the identities of the deceased remain protected pending the notification of next of kin.

Six US service members confirmed dead in KC-135 crash
US military rules out hostile or friendly fire
Iranian state media claims missile strike by resistance factions
Investigation into incident cause is ongoing
Second refueling tanker landed safely during mission

The US military has announced that the entire crew of six was killed when an aerial refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq - an incident it said was not caused by "hostile fire."

"All six crew members aboard a US KC-135 refuelling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased," US Central Command said in a social media post.

"The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire," said the military command, which is responsible for US forces in the Middle East.

The KC-135 aircraft went down in western Iraq at approximately 2 pm US Eastern Time (1800GMT) on Thursday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees military operations in the Mideast and parts of Asia, said earlier.

The identities of the service members are being withheld until at least 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified, the statement added.

The military said the circumstances of the incident are being investigated. However, the statement claimed that the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire.

Earlier in the day, Iranian state TV, citing a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya military headquarters affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported that the aircraft was struck by missiles fired by “resistance factions,” causing it to crash.

The spokesperson said the aircraft belonged to the US military and that all the crew members were killed, according to the report.

CENTCOM earlier said two aircraft were involved in the incident, with one refuelling aircraft going down in western Iraq while a second tanker landed safely.

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Source: TRT