West Asia conflict | US military aircraft crashes in 'friendly airspace' in Iraq; Iran-backed Iraqi group claims responsibility

The United States on Thursday lost another plane as a refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq.

The US Central Command said that two aircraft were involved in crash in "friendly airspace". It added that the US KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed, while the other plane landed safely.

"The ⁠incident occurred in friendly airspace during Operation Epic Fury," the statement said, using the codename for the the US operation against Iran.

However, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a group backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for downing the aircraft. In a statement, the outfit said that it had shot at the aircraft "in defense of our ‌country's sovereignty and airspace".

According to a Reuters report quoting an US official, the crashed aircraft carried six people, while the other plane involved was also a KC-135.

The KC-135 is manufactured by Boeing. It was produced extensively in the 1950s and 1969s and has been a key part of US military's air refueling fleet.

The US and Israel had launched a joint operation to kill Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28.

According to reports, the US has struck more than 6,000 targets in Iran, while losing seven service members. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that at least 150 US troops have been injured in war on Iran.