U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker Crash in Iraq

All six service members aboard a U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker, which crashed in western Iraq, have been confirmed dead, as reported by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

The aircraft went down around 2 PM ET on Thursday during Operation Epic Fury, a joint U.S. initiative with Israel aimed at diminishing Iran’s military and nuclear capacity. CENTCOM stated that this incident occurred in friendly airspace. Notably, another aircraft was part of the event but managed to land safely; there were no indications of friendly or hostile fire involved.

Later in the night, CENTCOM confirmed that four crew members were dead, while efforts continued to locate the remaining two. Hours later, all six fatalities were verified. Specific details regarding the victims were withheld until their families had been notified.

“Investigations into the incident are ongoing. However, CENTCOM has clarified that the crash was not caused by any fire from friendlies or hostiles,” they noted. They are holding off on releasing the names of the deceased until 24 hours after next of kin notification.

This crash further elevates the casualty count for U.S. military personnel participating in Operation Epic Fury to 13. Additionally, there have been seven other fatalities resulting from Iranian retaliatory strikes against U.S. military facilities and embassies in various Middle Eastern regions.

Among those lost in a drone attack in Kuwait at Shuaiba Port were Captain Cody A. Koch (35), Sergeant First Class Nicole M. Amor (39), and several others. Furthermore, Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, succumbed to injuries sustained in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia just days later.