Four United States service members were killed when a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq during “Operation Epic Fury,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Friday.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the crash took place in friendly territory in the course of a combat mission.
The aircraft went down at approximately 2 p.m. Eastern Time on March 12. Six crew members were aboard the aircraft, with four confirmed dead as search-and-rescue efforts continued for the remaining personnel.
“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation,” CENTCOM said in a statement. “However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.”
Four Confirmed Deceased in Loss of U.S. KC-135 Over Iraq
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 13, 2026
TAMPA, Fla. – At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq. Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue.
The…
The refueling aircraft crashed near Turaibil, along the Iraqi-Jordanian border, according to CBS News, citing an Iraqi intelligence source.
A U.S. official told Reuters that the crash occurred during a collision between two KC-135 refueling aircraft operating in the area. The second aircraft reportedly declared an emergency before landing safely in Israel earlier in the day, according to flight-tracking service FlightRadar24.
CENTCOM said the identities of the deceased service members were being withheld until 24 hours after their families were notified.
The Iran-backed umbrella group Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft, saying in a statement that it had shot down the refueling plane “in defense of our country’s sovereignty and airspace.” U.S. officials have said there is no evidence that this is the case.
The incident marks the fourth U.S. aircraft loss linked to “Operation Epic Fury,” which began on Feb. 28 when the United States and Israel attacked Iran.
Last week, Kuwait’s air defenses mistakenly shot down three U.S. F-15 fighter jets during active combat, in what CENTCOM described at the time as an apparent friendly-fire incident. All six crew members ejected safely and were later recovered in stable condition.
