According to the Pentagon, an American military plane crashed on Friday night in the eastern Mediterranean as it was participating in a training exercise.
The aircraft “suffered a mishap and went down,” U.S. European Command, which is responsible for U.S. military operations across Europe, portions of Asia and the Middle East, the Arctic, and the Atlantic Ocean, said in a statement on Saturday.
The incident was “purely related to training, and there are no indications of hostile activity,” said USEUCOM.
No further details were immediately provided on the type of aircraft involved, which branch it belonged to, the exact location or timing of the crash, or whether there were any injuries or fatalities. The cause is under investigation.
“Out of respect for the families affected, we will not release further information on the personnel involved at this time,” the statement said.
After Hamas militants attacked Israel on October 7, the Defence Department dispatched more American forces to the region.
The USS Gerald R. Ford and its strike group were deployed to the eastern Mediterranean in the days immediately after the attack.
The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its strike group were sent to the Persian Gulf as U.S. military bases in Iraq and Syria have seen an increase in attacks by Iran-backed Shia militia groups in recent weeks.
Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also sent additional air defence systems to the region.
