This is a developing story. <\/p>\n
Four U.S. service members were killed on Thursday when a U.S. Air Force KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed during ongoing combat operations against Iran<\/a>, U.S. Central Command confirmed. <\/p>\n Two more crew members have yet to be accounted for. <\/p>\n \u201cAt approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq,\u201d a CENTCOM release on Friday stated. \u201cFour of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased.\u201d <\/p>\n In a press briefing Friday alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine stated the military is \u201cstill treating this as an active rescue.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe incident occurred in friendly territory in western Iraq while the crew was on a combat mission,\u201d Caine said. \u201c[It] was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. … Four airmen have been recovered. The Air Force and U.S. Central Command will provide updates as information becomes available.\u201d <\/p>\n The circumstances of the crash are under investigation, CENTCOM added. <\/p>\n Two aircraft were reportedly involved in the incident, with the second aircraft landing safely, officials said Thursday.<\/p>\n Numerous KC-135s are currently deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations, where crews have provided aerial refueling for other aircraft as a part of Operation Epic Fury.<\/p>\n The downed KC-135 is the fourth manned U.S. aircraft to be lost this month amid combat operations against the Islamic Republic.<\/p>\n On March 1, three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets<\/a> were shot down by a Kuwaiti F\/A-18 in a friendly fire incident, U.S. Central Command announced<\/a> at the time. All six F-15 crew members ejected and were safely recovered.<\/p>\n Prior to Thursday, seven U.S. service members had been killed in action and roughly 140 more wounded<\/a> \u2014 eight severely \u2014 across the opening week-plus of Operation Epic Fury.<\/p>\n