Four of the six crew members aboard a US Air Force KC-135 tanker plane were killed when the aircraft crashed in western Iraq on 13/3, according to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), the agency overseeing US military operations in the Middle East. Rescue efforts are ongoing for the remaining crew.

CENTCOM is investigating the accident. The command affirmed that "the plane crash was not caused by enemy fire or friendly fire". The deaths of the four service members raise the total number of US fatalities related to the conflict with Iran to 11.

A US Air Force KC-135 at an air base in Moron de la Frontera, Spain, in 8/2021. *Photo: Reuters*

Meanwhile, Iran's military stated on state television that the Islamic Resistance Alliance in Iraq (IRA), an allied group in Iraq, shot down the aircraft with a missile, killing all crew members. The IRA added that it had targeted another aircraft, but that plane "escaped".

The KC-135 is the 4th US military aircraft lost in the ongoing conflict. This follows three F-15 fighter jets that were mistakenly hit by friendly fire over Kuwaiti airspace.

Location of Iraq and Iran. *Graphic: BBC*

The KC-135 series has been in service since 1957, sharing a prototype design with the Boeing 707 passenger jet. Each aircraft has a crew of 3-4, a maximum speed of 933 km/h, and an operational range of 2.100 km when carrying 68 tons of fuel for transfer to other aircraft.

By Ngoc Anh (According to AFP, Times of Israel, Reuters)