Berlin [Germany], November 13: Five people on board a US military aircraft were killed in a crash during a training flight over the eastern Mediterranean Sea, US officials said on Sunday.
"During a routine air refuelling mission as part of military training, a US military aircraft carrying five service members suffered a mishap and crashed into the Mediterranean Sea," a statement from the US Armed Forces in Europe (Eucom) said.
"All five of the service members onboard the aircraft were killed." The identities of the crew members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notifications have been completed, the statement said.
"Search and rescue efforts began immediately, including nearby US military aircraft and ships." The cause of the crash is currently under investigation, according to an earlier Eucom statement.
Eucom underlined that the accident had been "purely related to training and there are no indications of hostile activity." The incident occurred on Friday evening. There was no information on which unit the aircraft belonged to.
The US recently deployed several warships to the eastern Mediterranean because of the war in Gaza, including the aircraft carriers USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gerald R. Ford. Air force squadrons had also already been sent to the region.
Source: Qatar Tribune