A U.S. military refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq, with no clear cause disclosed yet. However, the U.S. Central Command confirmed it was not due to enemy fire or friendly fire.
On 12 March 2026, the U.S. military announced that a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday. They confirmed the incident was “not caused by enemy fire or friendly fire.” However, the statement did not specify the exact cause or indicate if there were any injuries or fatalities.
According to a statement from the U.S. Central Command, the incident occurred in allied airspace during the “Epic Fury” operation. Rescue efforts are currently underway.
Besides the crashed refueling aircraft, two other aircraft were involved in the incident. U.S. officials told CNN that the second aircraft was also a KC-135 and landed safely.
The U.S. military added that more information will be released as the situation develops and kindly asked for patience while details are gathered “to provide clear information to the families of the service members.”
Typically, a KC-135 crew consists of three to four members, including a pilot, co-pilot, and refueling operator responsible for mid-air refueling of other aircraft. Some missions may also include a navigator.
This marks the latest aircraft loss in the recent U.S. operations targeting Iran. Last week, three F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets were shot down over Kuwaiti airspace by the same group, but all six crew members ejected safely.
Follow international news:https://www.thairath.co.th/news/foreign
Source:cnn