Rescue efforts are underway after a US refuelling plane was lost during military operations against Iran, US Central Command has said.
The military said that two KC-135 aircraft were involved in the incident, and that one landed safely and the other went down in western Iraq. It described the latter as "a loss".
"The incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, and rescue efforts are ongoing," the US Central Command said in a statement.
"This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.
"More information will be made available as the situation develops. We ask for continued patience to gather additional details and provide clarity for the families of service members."
The tanker is the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft to crash as part of the US military’s operations against Iran. Last week, the military confirmed that three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire.
All six crew members safely ejected from the F-15E Strike Eagles and were in stable condition after being recovered, the US said
Seven American troops have been killed in combat during the Iran war so far. About 140 US service members have been wounded, including eight severely, the Pentagon said earlier this week.
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