- A US military refueling plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday.
- Iran-backed group claims responsibility for shooting down US planes.
- So far, at least 150 US soldiers have been injured in the US-Israeli war against Iran.
WASHINGTON: All six crew members aboard a US military refueling plane that crashed in western Iraq have been confirmed killed, the US military said on Friday.
A US military refueling plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, in an incident the military said involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.
The deaths add to the seven US service members already killed as part of US operations against Iran, which began on 28 February.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” a statement from US Central Command said.
An American official said Reuters that the other plane involved in the crash, which landed safely, was also a military refueling plane known as the KC-135.
The US has deployed a large number of aircraft in the Middle East to take part in operations against Iran, and the incident highlights the risks of not just operations, but of aerial refueling.
The KC-135, built by Boeing BA.N in the 1950s and early 1960s, has served as the backbone of the US military’s aerial refueling fleet and is essential in allowing aircraft to carry out missions without having to land.
Meanwhile, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions claimed responsibility for shooting down the US military refueling aircraft.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that as many as 150 US soldiers have been injured in the US-Israeli war against Iran. News of the crash comes on the same day that two US sailors were injured after the USS Gerald Ford suffered a non-combat-related fire on board.
The first seven US troops were killed when a drone crashed into a US military facility in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.
President Donald Trump and other senior officials have warned that the Iran conflict will result in more US military deaths as Tehran retaliates against US and Israeli strikes.
