The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) has confirmed that four crew members were killed after a United States Air Force refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq.
In a statement posted on X on Friday morning, CENTCOM said the aircraft involved was a KC-135 Stratotanker and that search-and-rescue operations are ongoing for two additional crew members who remain unaccounted for.
According to the command, the incident did not result from hostile action. Officials said preliminary information indicates the crash was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire, but noted that the incident involved a second U.S. tanker aircraft.
Rescue teams are continuing efforts to locate the missing personnel as investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash continue, CENTCOM said.
Military authorities have not yet released further operational details about the incident.
