All six crew members aboard a U.S. Air Force KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq have been confirmed dead, according to U.S. Central Command.
CENTCOM said the aircraft was lost while flying in friendly airspace on March 12 during Operation Epic Fury. The command had said earlier that two aircraft were involved in the incident, with one going down in western Iraq and the second landing safely, according to an earlier CENTCOM press release.
The military said the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation. CENTCOM said the loss of the aircraft was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire.
The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified, the statement said.
Earlier, CENTCOM had said rescue efforts were underway as officials worked to gather details and provide clarity for the families of service members. The command has not yet released further information on what caused the aircraft to go down.
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