A major aviation incident has unfolded in the West Asia after a US Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker crashed in western Iraq during an active military mission. The aircraft, a Boeing-built KC-135 aerial refueling tanker, was operating as part of Operation Epic Fury, supporting long-range combat aircraft with critical mid-air refueling capability when the crash occurred. According to US military officials, the tanker was flying in formation with another aircraft during the mission when the incident happened. The second aircraft in the formation reportedly landed safely, while the KC-135 went down in a remote area of western Iraq. The fate of the crew remains unclear, and search and rescue teams have been deployed to the crash site as the US military works urgently to determine whether any survivors are present. WATCH