(Dan Tri) – A US military plane crashed in the eastern Mediterranean amid the escalation of conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group moves with the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group to support operations in the Mediterranean on November 3 (Photo: US Navy).
The US European Command (EUCOM) announced that a US military aircraft `had a problem and crashed` in the eastern Mediterranean while performing a training flight on the evening of November 10.
The Pentagon did not provide any additional information about the type of plane, nor how many people were on board or whether the incident occurred on land or at sea.
`However, we can confirm with certainty that the aircraft’s sortie was purely training-related and there were no signs of hostile activity,` EUCOM confirmed.
`Out of respect for the affected families, we will not be releasing further information about the personnel involved at this time,` EUCOM added.
In addition to several air bases in the region, the US military has deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group to operate in the eastern Mediterranean.
A second aircraft carrier strike group, led by the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, also deployed to the region recently, later transiting the Suez Canal to the Middle East for `stronger deterrence`
The Mediterranean region borders the Gaza Strip (Photo: BBC).
Last year, an F-18 Super Hornet fighter on the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman was `blown into the sea` due to `unusually bad weather` during a resupply mission in the Mediterranean.
After the conflict broke out in Gaza, the US deployed a series of weapons and soldiers to the Middle East, including submarines carrying cruise missiles and two aircraft carrier battle groups.
Meanwhile, military bases where US forces are stationed in Iraq and Syria have been continuously attacked recently.
The US accused Iranian-backed armed groups of being behind these attacks.
Iran denied the allegations, but armed groups backed by Tehran publicly announced that they would put US forces and military assets in the region in their sights as long as Washington supported Israel in its war with Hamas.
Iran’s Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani warned that the US could face a `serious attack` if it does not intervene to end the war between Israel – Hamas.
