US Military Confirms All Six Crew Members Dead In Iraq Plane Crash

The United States military has confirmed that all six crew members aboard a KC-135 aerial refuelling plane that crashed in western Iraq on Thursday died in the incident.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) updated the death toll on Friday after initially reporting four fatalities earlier in the day.

USCentcom made it clear that the crash was not caused by hostile or friendly fire.

“All six crew members on board a US KC-135 military aerial refuelling plane that crashed in western Iraq have been confirmed dead,” USCentcom said in the update.

The command said it will withhold the identities of the crew members until authorities notify their families.

Naija News reported earlier that the crash and rescue operation was underway to locate all crew members. The military has now confirmed all six perished.

It is gathered that this plane crash marks the fourth US aircraft lost since the United States and Israel began launching strikes against Iran on February 28.

Kuwait air defences mistakenly shot down three US Air Force fighter jets in a friendly fire incident earlier this month. All crew members in those jets ejected safely.

Meanwhile, the United States President Donald Trump and US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have warned that the Iran war would probably claim more American lives before the conflict ends.

The KC-135 serves as a critical aerial refuelling tanker, extending the range of fighter jets and other military aircraft during operations.

The loss of the aircraft and its six crew members represents a significant blow to US military operations in the region.