What we know about US military plane crash in Iraq after four deaths and two troops unaccounted for

byVerified News Online

A US Air Force refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during a mission linked to the ongoing war with Iran, according to military officials.

“Rescue operations are ongoing,” the officials said, adding that they were trying to establish the full details of the incident.

“US Central Command is aware of the loss of a US KC-135 refuelling aircraft,” Centcom, which runs US military operations in the Middle East, said in a statement.

“The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing.”

However, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of armed factions backed by Iran, said it was responsible for downing the aircraft.

The group said in a statement it had shot down the aircraft “in defence of our country’s sovereignty and airspace”.

Centcom said “two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely”.

“This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” it added.

The second aircraft was also reportedly a KC-135, according to people familiar with the situation, the Washington Post reported.

Centcom said that search and rescue efforts were ongoing following the crash. They were yet to confirm if anyone had been killed or injured.

“We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members,” the Centcom statement said.

The KC-135 is flown by at least a three-person crew – a pilot, a co-pilot and a boom operator who controls the refuelling arm to transfer fuel to other aircraft in flight – but can carry another crew member depending on the mission.

The aircraft can carry large amounts of fuel and refuel a wide range of aircraft used by the US Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and allied forces.

Aerial refuelling is one of the most technically demanding operations in military aviation. During these missions, the tanker aircraft must fly at a steady speed and altitude while another aircraft moves close enough for a refuelling boom to connect.

The process requires precise coordination between pilots and the boom operator and even small errors can lead to accidents.

In the past, mid-air refuelling missions have resulted in collisions and fatalities. In 2018, a US Marine Corps F/A-18 fighter jet collided with a tanker aircraft during a refuelling mission near Japan, killing six service members.

Another crash involved a US refuelling tanker in 2013. A KC-135 aircraft taking part in refuelling operations over Afghanistan went down shortly after taking off from Manas airport in Kyrgyzstan. Three airmen were killed in the crash.

The KC-135 crash on Thursday occurred as the war with Iran continued to escalate. The US and Israel have been carrying out strikes on targets across Iran while Tehran has launched retaliatory attacks against Israeli and US-linked assets in Gulf countries.

An oil tanker burns after getting hit by an alleged Iranian projectile at Khor al-Zubair port near Basra, Iraq, on 11 March 2026open image in gallery
An oil tanker burns after getting hit by an alleged Iranian projectile at Khor al-Zubair port near Basra, Iraq, on 11 March 2026 (AP)

According to Centcom, American forces have struck more than 6,000 targets inside Iran since the war began on 28 February. The military said it had destroyed or sunk more than 90 Iranian vessels, including over 30 boats believed to be used for laying naval mines.

In all, over 2,000 people have been killed so far, including almost 700 by Israeli forces in Lebanon.

File. US Air Force military aircraft are seen parked on the tarmac of the Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv on 25 February 2026open image in gallery
File. US Air Force military aircraft are seen parked on the tarmac of the Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv on 25 February 2026 (AFP via Getty)

The KC-135 crash was reported the same day a broke out on the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford, injuring two sailors, though the injuries were described as “non-life-threatening”.

The Pentagon has said at least seven US service members have been killed since the conflict started, while around 140 have been wounded.

Several key questions about the KC-135 crash have not yet been answered. Investigators believed the crash could have been caused by a midair collision but the circumstances remained unclear, the New York Times reported.

This is the fourth US manned aircraft lost since Operation Epic Fury started, although none of the incidents have been attributed to Iranian fire by US officials. In early March, three Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle jets were shot down, allegedly by a Kuwaiti F/A-18 aircraft in a friendly fire incident.

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