Florida [US], March 13 (ANI): The United States Central Command (US CENTCOM) on Friday confirmed the deaths of four crew members after a US refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Thursday.

In a statement, the US CENTCOM said that a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker went down at approximately 2 pm Eastern Time on March 12, with six crew members on board the aircraft at the time of the incident.

It further stated that rescue operations are currently underway.

CENTCOM further clarified that the loss of the aircraft was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire.

'At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refuelling aircraft went down in western Iraq. Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue. The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,' the statement read.

The Command said the names of the deceased service members will be withheld until at least 24 hours after their families have been notified.

Earlier on Thursday, the US CENTCOM confirmed the loss of a US Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker refuelling aircraft over Iraq while supporting military operations, according to an official press release.

According to a release, CENTCOM stated that the incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury, the US-led operation against the Iranian regime to dismantle the security apparatus and prioritise locations that pose an imminent threat.

'Two aircraft were involved in the incident. One of the aircraft went down in western Iraq, while the second aircraft was able to land safely,' the release said.

'This was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,' the release added.

However, Iran's state media, citing the spokesman for the Central Headquarters of Iran's Military, claimed that the US military refuelling plane was shot down by a missile fired by resistance groups in Western Iraq.

The spokesperson further told Press TV that all six of the service members on board had been killed.

The Public Relations Department of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) also said in a statement that the air defence systems of the Resistance Front succeeded in targeting a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker tanker while it was refuelling an aggressor fighter jet, Press TV reported. (ANI)