US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that four of five tanker aircraft targeted by an Iranian missile attack in Saudi Arabia suffered "virtually no damage," after five US Air Force refueling planes were struck on the ground at Prince Sultan Air Base, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing two US officials.
"Four of the five had virtually no damage, and are already back in service," said Trump on a Truth Social post. "One had slightly more damage, but will be in the air shortly."
The attack followed an incident on Thursday, where two KC-135 refueling planes collided, resulting in one aircraft crashing to the ground. All six crew members aboard the plane that crashed were killed, as confirmed by the Pentagon on Friday.
The collision occurred near Turaibil, along the Iraqi-Jordanian border, as reported by CBS News, citing an Iraqi intelligence source.
The second KC-135 had declared an emergency and was able to land safely in Israel after the incident.
Islamic Resistance takes credit
In the aftermath of the accident, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions, claimed responsibility for downing the US military aircraft.
The group stated they shot down the KC-135 "in defense of our country's sovereignty and airspace."
Additionally, last week, Kuwait's air defenses mistakenly shot down three US F-15 fighter jets during active combat, an incident that US Central Command (CENTCOM)described as apparent friendly fire.
All six crew members ejected from the aircraft safely and were recovered in stable condition.
Reuters, Shir Perets and Miriam Sela-Eitam contibuted to this report.