Six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq during Operation Epic Fury have been confirmed dead, U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
The aircraft went down on Thursday, March 12, while flying over friendly airspace. While the circumstances remain under investigation, officials said it was not caused by hostile or friendly fire.
The identities of the service members are being withheld pending notification of next of kin. A second KC-135 operating in the area landed safely.
The tragedy follows a separate incident on March 1 in which three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles went down over Kuwait in what was described as an apparent friendly-fire event. During active combat that included attacks by Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones, the fighters were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses, the statement said. All six aircrew members from the F-15Es ejected safely, were recovered and were reported in stable condition.
Authorities said that Kuwait acknowledged the incident and credited Kuwaiti forces for assisting during the response.
The disaster follows a March 11 warning from CENTCOM urging civilians in Iran to avoid port facilities along the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iranian forces are using civilian ports to conduct military operations that threaten international shipping. Officials said ports used for military purposes can lose protected status under international law and may become military targets, and they urged Iranian dockworkers, administrative staff and commercial vessel crews to avoid Iranian naval vessels and military equipment.
CENTCOM said it would take feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians but could not guarantee safety in or near facilities being used by Iranian forces for military purposes.
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