U.S. military officials said a U.S. refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday in an incident involving another aircraft but not the result of hostile or friendly fire.
The United States has deployed a large number of aircraft to the Middle East to take part in operations against Iran, and the incident highlights the risks of such missions, even in friendly airspace.
In a statement, U.S. Central Command said it was carrying out rescue efforts after the U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down. The second aircraft landed safely.
“The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury,” the statement said, using the military’s name for the U.S. operation against Iran.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the other aircraft involved was also a KC-135 and that the one that crashed had six service members on board.
The KC-135, built by Boeing in the 1950s and early 1960s, has served as the backbone of the U.S. military’s air refueling fleet and is critical in allowing aircraft to carry out missions without having to land.