Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The United States Armed Forces announced that one of its aerial refueling aircraft has crashed over western Iraq with 6 crew members on board.
According to an initial statement from the US military, the aircraft involved was a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, a tanker plane widely used to refuel military jets during operations.
Officials said the aircraft went down in a western area of Iraq, was reportedly but not verified struck by a P-358 surface-to-air missile fired by Iraqi resistance forces. Initial unconfirmed reports indicate three American soldiers killed.
The KC-135 Stratotanker has been a key component of US air operations for decades, providing in-flight refueling capabilities that allow combat and surveillance aircraft to extend their range and remain airborne for longer missions.
The US military said additional information would be released as the situation becomes clearer and investigations into the incident continue.
