The Digest:
A US KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday, killing four of the six crew members on board, the US military confirmed. Two crew members survived. US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that the crash was "not due to hostile fire or friendly fire" and that an investigation is underway. However, Iran's military and the Iran-backed Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft with a missile. The crash brings the number of US service members killed in the ongoing conflict with Iran to at least 11. This is at least the fourth US military aircraft lost during the war, following three F-15s downed by friendly fire over Kuwait. Meanwhile, the cost of the war is mounting, with the first week estimated at over $11.3 billion, according to a Pentagon briefing.
Key Points
- Four US crew members killed in KC-135 crash in western Iraq.
- CENTCOM insists crash not due to hostile or friendly fire.
- Iran-backed groups claim responsibility for downing aircraft.
- At least 11 US service members killed in conflict so far.
- War costs estimated at over $11.3 billion in first week.
As US investigators probe a crash that killed four, Iran-backed militias claim credit—another layer of fog over a war that's already cost billions and a dozen American lives.
Sources: US Central Command
Sources: US Central Command
