March 13, New Delhi — The United States Military announced on Friday that four of the six crew members aboard a U.S. military aircraft that crashed in western Iraq have been confirmed dead.
Rescue efforts for the remaining two crew members are ongoing.
According to the military, the refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday. Officials said the incident involved another aircraft but was not the result of hostile or friendly fire.
Authorities added that the circumstances surrounding the crash are under investigation.
The deaths add to the seven other U.S. service members who have already been killed during U.S. operations against Iran.
Meanwhile, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, claimed responsibility for downing the U.S. military refueling aircraft.