US military says refuelling aircraft crashes in Iraq.

Rescue operations are ongoing after a US military refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq, according to US Central Command (Centcom).

Centcom said the KC-135 aircraft went down over western Iraq and noted that neither hostile fire nor friendly fire was involved in the incident.

The tanker had been supporting ongoing US operations linked to the conflict with Iran and was flying alongside another aircraft at the time. The second aircraft landed safely.

The KC-135, manufactured by Boeing, is designed to refuel other aircraft midair and plays a key role in US military missions. The aircraft was widely used during the first Gulf War to extend the range of fighter jets and bombers.

Typically, the KC-135 operates with a crew that includes a pilot, co-pilot and a boom operator responsible for managing the refuelling system. However, reports indicate that six service members were on board the aircraft that crashed.

The condition of the crew members has not yet been confirmed.

Centcom said the crash occurred in friendly airspace, though the region of Iraq where it happened is known to host pro-Iranian militia groups. Iran’s military claimed on state television that an allied group had targeted the aircraft with a missile.

US Congressman Jim Himes, a member of the group of lawmakers regularly briefed on sensitive military operations, said it was too early to determine the exact cause of the crash.

He noted that the KC-135 is commonly used for aerial refuelling and usually carries a small crew, expressing hope that those on board were safe.

Himes added that such incidents can occur during conflicts, even for well-equipped militaries.

Since the start of the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, seven US soldiers have been confirmed killed.

The latest crash brings the number of US aircraft lost during the conflict to at least four.

Earlier this month, three F-15 fighter jets were shot down in what officials described as an apparent friendly fire incident over Kuwait. All six crew members on those aircraft were able to eject safely.

The KC-135 Stratotanker was built for the US military in the 1950s and early 1960s and has remained a key part of the country’s aerial refuelling fleet, enabling combat aircraft to carry out extended missions without landing.