Five United States Air Force refueling aircraft were hit and damaged while on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia following an Iranian missile strike, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing two US officials.
The report said the aircraft sustained damage during the missile attack on the Saudi facility in recent days. Although the planes were not completely destroyed, they are currently undergoing repairs. The Wall Street Journal added that no casualties were recorded as a result of the strike.
According to the WSJ report, the latest development means that at least seven US Air Force refueling planes have been damaged or destroyed since the launch of Operation Epic Fury.
The figure comes after a separate incident on Thursday involving two KC-135 refueling aircraft that collided midair. One of the planes crashed following the collision, killing all six crew members on board. The Pentagon confirmed the fatalities on Friday.
CBS News, citing an Iraqi intelligence source, reported that the collision occurred near Turaibil along the Iraqi-Jordanian border.
The second KC-135 involved in the incident declared an emergency and managed to land safely in Israel.
In the wake of the crash, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq — an umbrella group made up of Iran-backed armed factions — claimed responsibility for downing the US aircraft.
The group stated they shot down the KC-135 “in defense of our country’s sovereignty and airspace.”
Separately, last week Kuwait’s air defenses mistakenly shot down three US F-15 fighter jets during active combat. US Central Command (CENTCOM) described the incident as apparent friendly fire.
All six crew members ejected safely from the aircraft and were later recovered in stable condition.
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