WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Central Command says the Air Force's refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday.
'U.S. Central Command is aware of the loss of a U.S. KC-135 (Stratotanker) refueling aircraft. The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing,' it said in a press release, referring to the joint U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran.
'Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely,' it added.
This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire, according to the CENTCOM.
It did not specify if there was any casualty caused by the crash.
'More information will be made available as the situation develops. We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members,' the press release adds.
At least six U.S. Army Reserve personnel were killed in an Iranian drone strike on a tactical operations center in Kuwait's Port Shuaiba on March 1.
Another 140 American troops were injured, eight of them seriously, in the Middle East war so far, according to the Pentagon.
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