The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I An American military refuelling aircraft has crashed in western Iraq, killing four crew members, after what Iran claims was a missile strike by an allied militia group operating in the region.
According to the United States Central Command (Centcom), the aircraft involved was a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, one of the US Air Force’s key aerial refuelling tankers used to support combat aircraft during long-range operations.
Centcom confirmed that four of the six crew members aboard the aircraft were killed in the crash, while rescue operations were continuing as search teams worked to locate the remaining personnel.
The tanker was flying over western Iraq on Thursday afternoon when the incident occurred at about 14:00 Eastern Time (19:00 GMT). It was part of a two-aircraft mission linked to ongoing American military operations against Iran and its regional allies.
Military officials said the second aircraft involved in the operation landed safely without incident.
Although Centcom initially said the aircraft had not been brought down by either hostile or friendly fire, Iranian state television later claimed that an allied militia group had fired a missile that struck the aircraft.
The crash occurred in a region of Iraq where several pro-Iranian militia groups operate, raising speculation that the aircraft may have been targeted as tensions in the region escalate.
The identities of the crew members who died have not yet been released, with Centcom saying their names would be withheld for at least 24 hours until their families have been formally notified.
The KC-135 Stratotanker typically operates with a crew of a pilot, co-pilot and a boom operator who controls the long refuelling arm used to transfer fuel to other aircraft mid-flight.
Developed by Boeing in the 1950s and early 1960s, the aircraft has long been a backbone of the US military’s aerial refuelling fleet. By enabling fighter jets and bombers to refuel while airborne, the tanker allows combat aircraft to carry out longer missions without needing to land.
The aircraft played a crucial logistical role during the Gulf War and has remained a central part of American military operations across the Middle East.
Thursday’s crash increases the confirmed US military death toll in the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran to 11.
The United States has also lost at least four aircraft since the war began about two weeks ago. Earlier this month, three F-15 Eagle fighter jets were shot down over Kuwait in what officials described as an apparent friendly fire incident, though all six crew members involved in that episode managed to eject safely.
Centcom said investigations are ongoing to establish the exact cause of the latest crash as recovery teams continue operations at the site in western Iraq.
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