US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday that four out of the six crew members aboard a refueling aircraft were killed when the plane went down in western Iraq.
CENTCOM clarified that the crash of the refueling tanker was not caused by either hostile or friendly fire, noting that a formal investigation into the circumstances of the incident is currently underway.
On Thursday, CENTCOM had confirmed it was monitoring reports regarding the loss of a U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker in western Iraq.
Officials noted that the incident occurred within friendly airspace during the ongoing military engagement known as Operation Epic Fury.
