U.S. military aircraft crashed in Iraq, six crew members died

The KC-135 plane crashed west of Iraq about 2:00 on March 12th, US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, announced in a statement Friday.

The identities of dead soldiers have not been made public and kept secret for 24 hours until their families are notified, reports SkyNewSI'll follow the Express.

The crash of the plane “was not the result of enemy fire or friendly fire”, CENTCOM said, repeating an earlier statement about the incident, in which another aircraft had managed to land safely.

An American official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters news agency that another plane was also a KC-135 supplier.

The circumstances of the incident are still under investigation, CENTCOM added.

An umbrella group of Iran-backed forces, dubbed the Islamic “resistance in Iraq”, claimed responsibility for the plane crash Thursday. However, this group has already made false claims on attacks during the war with Iran.

The U.S. Army has used the KC-135 aircraft, built by Boeing in the 1950s and early 1960s, for more than 60 years for fuel supply during flight, enabling them to perform missions without having to land.

Seven American soldiers -- 13 if it includes members of the crashed aircraft crew -- have been killed since the beginning of the US-Israel attacks on Iran on February 28th.

So far, the war has caused more than 2,000 casualties, including about 700 in Lebanon. Israel has expanded its offensive against Iran-backed Hezbollah, while nighttime attacks have also hit Lebanon's capital, Beirut.