Air Force Tanker Crashes in Iraq

A US Air Force refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq on Thursday, the military said, adding that search and rescue efforts were still in progress. US Central Command reported that a KC-135 tanker was lost in an incident involving two aircraft, adding that the second plane was able to land without further trouble. Officials did not release information on possible deaths or injuries, saying only that recovery operations were underway. Central Command said the crash was not caused by enemy action or US fire, per the Wall Street Journal.

Earlier, flight-tracking data showed a KC-135 had declared an in-flight emergency, prompting initial reports that an incident had occurred. The aircraft carries a three-person crew, per the New York Times. Central Command said that an "incident occurred in friendly airspace during" the military operation against Iran. Any casualties would be the first for the Air Force during the attack on Iran.