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By Goli Innocent
The United States Department of Defense has released the identities of six American service members who died after a military refuelling aircraft crashed during operations in western Iraq.
According to officials, the victims were on board a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker that went down on Thursday while supporting military missions linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
Authorities said preliminary findings show the crash was not caused by hostile fire.
The Pentagon identified the deceased personnel as John Klinner, Ariana Savino, Ashley Pruitt, Seth Koval, Curtis Angst and Tyler Simmons. The first three served in the United States Air Force, while the others were attached to the United States Air National Guard.
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Military authorities said another aircraft involved in the same mission landed safely. However, the crash has pushed the number of American personnel killed since the escalation of the Middle East conflict to at least 13.
Earlier, the United States Central Command maintained that the aircraft was not brought down by enemy action or friendly fire, though investigations into the cause of the incident are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, a coalition known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility, alleging its fighters had shot down the aircraft and targeted another plane that managed to escape.
The KC-135, a long-serving aerial refuelling aircraft used by the U.S. military for more than six decades, typically operates with a small crew but can also transport additional personnel during specialised missions.
