A US Air Force refueling plane crashed in western Iraq, resulting in the death of all six crew members on board
The accident occurred during Operation Epic Fury, part of US military actions in the conflict involving Iran.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), it was a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, which was carrying out a refueling mission in airspace considered safe and controlled by allied forces.
The incident involved two tanker planes: one crashed, while the second managed to land safely at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel after issuing the international emergency code.
US military authorities stated that the accident was not caused by enemy fire or shots from allied forces-that is, there was no external attack.
The exact circumstances are still being investigated.
Initially, rescue efforts began immediately after the incident, and the number of fatalities was updated throughout the day: first four deaths were confirmed, and then all six.
The names of the military personnel were not released, pending notification from their families.
This accident represents the loss of more American lives in the current conflict with Iran, raising the total number of US military personnel killed in the war to 13. The KC-135 is a classic in-flight refueling aircraft, used for decades to support fighter jets and other aircraft on long-range missions.
Published in 03/14/2026 00h24
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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