US Refuelling Aircraft Shot Down During Mission in Western Iraq

Western Iraq – (Web Desk) – An American KC-135 refuelling plane crashed in western Iraq, the US military said Thursday. A second plane involved in the mission landed safely.

The US military said the crash was not caused by enemy fire or an accident from friendly forces.

However, pro-Iran groups in Iraq claim they shot down the aircraft with a missile, killing everyone on board. Iran’s military backed this claim in a statement on state TV.

The KC-135 is now at least the fourth US military plane lost in the Middle East. Earlier, three F-15 jets were accidentally shot down over Kuwait.

KC-135s, which have been in operation for more than 60 years, generally have a crew of three — a pilot, a copilot and a third who operates the boom used to refuel other aircraft, according to the US Air Force.

But some KC-135 missions require a navigator, and the aircraft can carry up to 37 passengers, an Air Force factsheet said.

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Early in the war — which began on February 28 — Kuwaiti forces mistakenly downed three American F-15E fighters, but all six crewmembers were able to eject, according to CENTCOM.

That incident occurred during combat including “attacks from Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles, and drones,” the military command said at the time.