US military launches rescue mission after KC-135 crash in Iraq

An American KC-135 aerial refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, as confirmed by the US military on Thursday. While a second plane involved in the mission landed safely as the crisis in the Middle East escalated.

According to the US Central Command, the rescue efforts have begun as the teams are searching the area to find and rescue anyone involved, as reported by Al Jazeera. 

“One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely. This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” US Central Command, which is responsible for American forces in the Middle East, said in a statement.

“The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing,” the statement read.

Moreover, no announcement has been made regarding the fatalities and survivors.

However, the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” claimed responsibility for shooting down the plane “with the appropriate weapon.”

The group released a statement citing the reason, they downed the plane in defence of our country’s sovereignty and airspace.

Before this crash happened, the US military had already reported several losses in their ongoing military operations. According to Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, seven service members have died; 140 people have been wounded in total along with eight who have been injured severely.

A KC-135 is essentially a “flying gas station” used to fuel other jets while they are in the air. It is at least the fourth US military aircraft lost during the US-Israel war with Iran in the Middle East.

Prior to this crash, three US F-15s were shot down by Kuwaiti air defences.

According to the US air force, KC-135 refuelling aircraft generally consists of a pilot, a copilot, and a third who operates the boom used to refuel other aircraft.