U.s. Refueling Plane Crashes Over Iraq, Military Says

WASHINGTON — A KC-135 refueling level that was portion of nan U.S. subject run against Iran collapsed complete occidental Iraq aft an incident involving different plane, U.S. Central Command said Thursday night.

“This was not owed to dispute occurrence aliases friends fire,” Centcom said successful a statement, adding that rescue efforts were underway and that nan section occurred “in friends airspace.” The different craft landed safely, according to nan statement.

Central Command gave nary accusation astir nan destiny of nan unit aliases nan number of group aboard nan plane. But nan KC-135 usually has a unit of 3 and sometimes carries a backup squad if it’s connected a agelong flight.

The Associated Press, citing a U.S. official, said that astatine slightest 5 unit members were aboard but that location was nary connection connected casualties.

CBS News reported nan 2nd level progressive successful nan incident was besides a KC-135, which landed safely successful Israel.

As of earlier Thursday, nan Pentagon had reported that 7 U.S. work members had been killed since nan warfare began connected Feb. 28. In nan first days of nan conflict, 3 U.S. combatant jets collapsed successful Kuwait aft accidentally coming nether occurrence by nan country’s aerial defense forces. All six unit members ejected safely, officials said.

The KC-135 Stratotanker “provides nan halfway aerial refueling capacity for nan United States Air Force and has excelled successful this domiciled for much than 60 years,” according to an Air Force webpage. It besides provides refueling for Navy and Marine aircraft.

Harney writes for Bloomberg.