The Wall Street Journal, citing two U.S. officials, reported that five U.S. Air Force aerial refueling aircraft were hit and damaged at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
The newspaper reported that the aircraft hit in a recent Iranian missile attack on a Saudi Arabian base were damaged but not completely destroyed and are being repaired. The newspaper also added that no one was killed in the attacks.
Satellite images of aircraft at Prince Sultan Air Base before the attack.
According to reports, the attack occurred at a time when Iran had been repeatedly launching missiles targeting US military bases in the region in recent days. It is believed that the affected aircraft were based at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, considered one of the main US military bases in the region.
According to the American newspaper, the aircraft were on the ground at the time of the attack and were damaged by Iranian missiles. The affected aircraft were Boeing C-135 Stratotankers, used to refuel fighter jets and bombers in the air. Thanks to these aircraft, the flight time and operational range of fighter jets can be increased.
A similar KC-135 refueling aircraft also “experienced a malfunction” and crashed in Iraq, killing six crew members.
The report also stated that the aircraft were damaged by the missile attack, but not completely destroyed. The affected aircraft are currently being repaired, and no casualties were reported in the incident.
It should be noted that Prince Sultan Air Base is located approximately 70 km southeast of Saudi Arabia’s capital, Riyadh, and is considered a crucial hub for U.S. military operations in the Gulf region.
On the other hand, this incident has also been described as a continuation of recent problems facing the US Air Force in the region. Previously, two KC-135 aircraft collided during an operation, resulting in one of them crashing.
The Pentagon confirmed the crash, stating that all six people on board were killed. This latest incident brings the total number of US tanker planes damaged or destroyed in recent days to at least seven.
