Four Crew Members Confirmed Dead in US Military Fuel Tanker Crash in Western Iraq

Four crew members have been confirmed dead in the crash of a US military fuel supply aircraft in western Iraq, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on its social media platform X on Friday. CENTCOM stated that four out of the six crew members aboard the aircraft died in the incident.

The crashed aircraft was a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, which is used for in-flight refueling of other fighter jets. According to CENTCOM, the aircraft crashed within friendly airspace. Preliminary investigations indicate that the plane did not go down due to enemy fire or friendly fire.

CENTCOM further stated that the investigation into the actual cause of the accident is ongoing. According to CENTCOM, two aircraft were involved in the incident. The other aircraft flying alongside the crashed KC-135 was reportedly able to land safely.

The US military announced that the names of the four deceased crew members will not be released until their families have been notified, which typically involves a waiting period of up to 24 hours.