Pentagon Confirms Six Servicemembers Dead In Iraq Tanker Crash

The Department of War confirmed Friday all six crewmembers were killed when an Air Force refueling tanker crashed in Iraq.

United States Central Command (CENTCOM) acknowledged that the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, carrying six service members, went down over western Iraq while noting that a second aircraft landed safely, CENTCOM said in a statement released Friday. The incident is under investigation, while two more servicemembers, previously reported missing, were confirmed dead later in a second statement released later Friday morning.

“At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq,” CENTCOM said. “Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”

“All six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased,” CENTCOM said in the second release.

Six American servicemembers were killed in an Iranian attack on an operations center in Kuwait, a seventh died of wounds sustained in an Iranian attack on an American base in Saudi Arabia and another American servicemember died from a medical incident since President Donald Trump