US losses grow as air refueling KC-135 goes down in Iraq
Plane crash (Photo: Getty Images)
The US military command has reported a new incident during operations in the Middle East. A Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tanker aircraft was lost in western Iraq, according to a report from US Central Command.
What happened
According to the US military, the incident occurred on Thursday during a mission as part of ongoing operations.
“U.S. Central Command is aware of the loss of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft. The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing,” the statement said.
The incident involved two aircraft. One plane crashed in western Iraq, while the other landed safely. “This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” the US military said.
The command also noted that information about the event is still being collected, and further details will be released later.
Another incident during the operation
The plane crash marks yet another event involving US forces since the start of the operation against Iran.
Earlier, it was reported that on March 1, the second day of the war, the US lost three F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets. CENTCOM stated at the time that the aircraft were shot down by Kuwait’s air defense system due to an error.
US military losses
According to the command, since the start of joint US and Israeli strikes on Iranian territory, seven American service members have been killed, and around 150 others have been injured to varying degrees.
Following a drone strike on a Western military base in Iraq, the UK government suggested possible support for Iran from Moscow. Defense Secretary John Healey noted that London is examining Russia’s involvement in providing assistance to Tehran.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s largest oil company, Saudi Aramco, is reportedly negotiating with two Ukrainian firms to potentially purchase interceptor drones. These systems are expected to be used to protect oil fields from attacks by Iranian drones, such as the Shahed drone.
