A US military refueling plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday local time, US Central Command said, adding that rescue efforts were underway.
The incident involved two aircraft — a KC-135 that crashed and another unidentified aircraft that “landed safely.”
“US Central Command is aware of the loss of a US KC-135 refueling aircraft. The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury and rescue efforts are ongoing,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
“It was not due to enemy fire or friendly fire,” CENTCOM clarified.
This is the fourth US aircraft shot down since the US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran on February 28, marking the start of Operation Epic Fury.
Earlier this month, three US Air Force jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in “friendly fire”. All crew members in these jets ejected safely.
Meanwhile, seven US soldiers have been killed in the conflict in the US-Israeli war against Iran, while Reuters reported that up to 150 US soldiers were injured on Tuesday.
The number of victims in Iran is more than 1,300, according to the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations.
(This is a developing story. Check back for updates)
