STUTTGART, Germany— An American military
aircraft crashed during a training exercise in the eastern Mediterranean
Sea, U.S. European Command said late Saturday.
The incident occurred Friday evening when the plane “suffered a mishap and went down,” EUCOM said in a statement.
“Out of respect for the families
affected, we will not release further information on the personnel
involved at this time,” EUCOM said.
The military said the crash was under investigation, but that it did not appear to be the result of hostile activity.
The mishap comes during a time of
high tension in the eastern Mediterranean, where the Pentagon has moved
substantial forces in the aftermath of Israel’s war with Hamas. Just
last week, two Navy aircraft carriers, involving some 11,000 U.S.
personnel, launched aircraft and practiced missile defense during a
three-day exercise in the area.
It wasn’t clear whether the aircraft crash Friday was related to carrier group operations in the region.
In addition to Navy warships, the
U.S. has also moved an array of ground defenses into the Middle East in
an effort to defend U.S. forces in the region and deter a wider war.
The hostilities in Gaza have had indirect repercussions for U.S. forces elsewhere.
Since mid-October, militant groups
aligned with Iran have repeatedly targeted U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria,
resulting in more than 50 American troops being injured, according to
the Pentagon.
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