US refuelling aircraft crashes in Iraq as Iran-backed militia claims responsibility

The US has suffered a major setback amid the war with Iran, with a US military refueling plane having crashed in Iraq, prompting rescue operations.

As an Iran-backed militia group claimed it shot down the aircraft, the United States military denied this with CENTCOM claiming that the crash did not result from hostile or friendly fire. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation, CENTCOM said.

The aircraft, a Boeing KC‑135 Stratotanker, went down on Thursday during an incident involving another US aircraft, according to United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Officials said the second aircraft landed safely following the event.

“At this time, rescue efforts are underway,” the command said in a statement, adding that the aircraft was operating in “friendly airspace”.

A US official said at least five crew members were on board the aircraft, although their condition and possible casualties had not yet been confirmed.

Shortly after the crash, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella network of Iran-aligned armed factions, claimed responsibility for bringing down the aircraft.

In a statement, the group said it had targeted the aircraft “in defence of our country’s sovereignty and airspace”.

The claim directly contradicts CENTCOM’s assessment, which emphasised that the incident was not the result of hostile activity.

The second aircraft involved in the incident was able to land safely in Israel, according to US officials.

The Boeing KC‑135 Stratotanker, originally developed in the late 1950s by Boeing, has long served as a core component of the US military’s aerial refuelling fleet. The aircraft enables fighter jets and other military planes to extend their operational range by refuelling in mid-air without needing to land.

Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the crash, and further details are expected once rescue and recovery operations are completed.

With PTI, IANS inputs