ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Four US service members were confirmed dead after an American refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Friday, denying that the incident was caused by “hostile” or “friendly” fire. The statement comes shortly after the Iran-aligned Islamic Resistance of Iraq (IRI) entity alleged it had “downed” the aircraft.
In a statement on X, CENTCOM said, “At approximately 2 p.m. ET on March 12, a U.S. KC‑135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq,” adding that “four of the six crew members on board have been confirmed deceased, as rescue efforts continue.”
Importantly, the Command added that “the circumstances of the incident are under investigation,” but affirmed that “the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
Earlier in the day, the CENTCOM had reported that it was “aware of the loss of a U.S. KC‑135 refueling aircraft,” noting that “the incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury [against Iran],” and that “two aircraft were involved. One went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely.”
For its part, the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance of Iraq (IRI) on Friday claimed it had “downed” the American aircraft.
In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the entity alleged, “In defense of our country’s sovereignty and airspace,” its forces “shot down a KC‑135 belonging to the American occupation in western Iraq using appropriate weapons.