Six U.S. service members died when their refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday.
U.S. Central Command confirmed the deaths of the six crew members who were aboard a KC-135 aircraft. The crew was providing support of U.S. military operations in the region as part of the war with Iran.
"The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire," the military stated.
NBC News reported that the number of U.S. service members killed in the conflict since it began February 28 is 12. A 13th member of the military died from a medical issue.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the service members Friday as "American heroes," NBC News reported. "War is hell. War is chaos. And as we saw yesterday with the tragic crash of our KC-135 tanker, bad things can happen."
U.S. Central Command said that the identities of the service members were being withheld, pending notification of their families.
"Our service members make an incredible sacrifice to go forward and do the things that the nation asks of them. It's a reminder of the true cost of the dedication and commitment of the joint force," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said to NBC News.
Aside from the fatalities, at least 140 U.S. service members have been wounded in the conflict, The Hill reported.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement to The Hill that the vast majority of those injuries have been minor, noting that 108 of those hurt have returned to duty.
