Baghdad: Rescue operations have begun after a US military refuelling aircraft was involved in one of the latest plane crashes linked to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
The aircraft, identified as a KC-135 refuelling plane, went down in western Iraq on Thursday. US Central Command has said the crash occurred during an operational mission and involved another aircraft, though authorities confirmed it was not caused by hostile action or friendly fire.
At least five crew members were reported to be onboard the aircraft at the time of the plane crashes incident. Officials have not yet confirmed whether any injuries occurred, and rescue teams have been working to locate and extract the crew from the remote desert area.
Western Iraq is largely made up of vast rocky plains with limited population. However, the region also hosts several bases used by Iran-aligned Shia militia groups and has seen repeated airstrikes carried out by Israeli and US forces.
The latest plane crashes event comes as the United States continues to deploy additional aircraft and specialised search and rescue units to the Middle East for operations connected to the conflict with Iran.
Elsewhere in Iraq, a French soldier has been killed in an attack in the autonomous Kurdistan region. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the death, marking the first French military casualty linked to the current conflict.
Since the joint United States and Israeli military operations against Iran began on 28 February, several attacks attributed to pro-Iranian groups have targeted areas hosting foreign military forces in the region.
The pro-Iranian Ashab Alkahf group in Iraq has warned that French interests in Iraq and neighbouring areas could be targeted following the arrival of a French aircraft carrier.
The crash marks the fourth US aircraft loss since the conflict escalated earlier this year. Earlier in the month, three US Air Force fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwait’s air defence systems in a friendly fire incident. All pilots in those aircraft managed to eject safely.
According to US officials, seven American service members have been killed since the conflict began, while approximately 150 US troops have been wounded.
Six of the fallen troops were killed when an Iranian drone struck an operations centre at a civilian port in Kuwait. The soldiers were part of an Army Reserve logistics unit responsible for supplying food and equipment to deployed forces.
US President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have warned that the conflict with Iran could continue to cause further casualties before it concludes.
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