A U.S. military aerial refueling aircraft crashed Thursday in western Iraq while supporting operations tied to the ongoing war with Iran, according to multiple U.S. officials who spoke to CBS News.

The aircraft involved was a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, a key refueling platform used by the U.S. Air Force to extend the range of fighter jets and other aircraft during military operations.

Recovery efforts are currently underway in the area where the tanker went down. At this time, the status of the crew aboard the aircraft remains unknown.

Officials also confirmed that a second aircraft involved in the same incident sustained damage but was able to land safely.

Flight tracking data from FlightRadar24 indicated that a KC-135 declared an emergency before landing safely in Tel Aviv later Thursday evening.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, U.S. Central Command said both aircraft were connected to the same incident but emphasized that the event was not caused by hostile fire or friendly fire.

Further details about the crash and the condition of the crew have not yet been released.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)