March 13, (THEWILL) — Four United States service members have been confirmed dead after a refuelling aircraft went down in friendly airspace in western Iraq, according to the United States Central Command (CENTCOM).
In a statement released on Friday, CENTCOM said four of the six crew members on board the aircraft were killed, while search and rescue operations were still ongoing.
“Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue,” the command said.
The incident involved a Boeing KC‑135 Stratotanker aerial refuelling aircraft, which went down at about 2 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday after two aircraft were involved in what officials described as an “incident” in friendly airspace.
CENTCOM confirmed that one of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, while the second aircraft landed safely. According to the command, the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire.
“The incident was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” the military command stated.
A U.S. official also confirmed that the second aircraft involved in the incident was another KC-135 tanker.
Authorities said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
The identities of the deceased service members have not yet been released, as officials said their names would be withheld until at least 24 hours after their next of kin have been notified.
The KC-135 Stratotanker is a key aerial refuelling aircraft used by the U.S. military to extend the range and endurance of fighter jets and other aircraft during operations.
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