6 U.S. service members killed in military refueling plane crash in Iraq
In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Department of War, a North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter refuels from a KC-135 Stratotanker over Western Alaska Feb. 19, 2026. (Handout Photo by U.S. Department of War/Getty Images) All six U.S. service members on board a refueling aircraft have been confirmed dead after the U.S. KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The aircraft went down at about 2 p.m. ET on Thursday afternoon, CENTCOM said. In a statement to X, it explained that “the incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury,” the U.S.’s title for its joint campaign with Israel against Iran to weaken its military and nuclear capabilities and liberate its people. The command said another aircraft was entangled in the incident, but landed safely, and added that no hostile or friendly fire was involved. U.S. Central Command is aware of the loss of a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircr...