U.s. Military Aircraft Crashes In Kyrgyzstan

<p>BISHKEK, KYRGYZSTAN (BNO NEWS) -- A United States military aircraft on Friday crashed in Kyrgyzstan, officials said.

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<p>The U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker aircraft with three people on board crashed in a mountainous area between two villages in the Chuysky region of northern Kyrgyzstan, around 60 kilometers (36 miles) west of Bishkek, the country's capital.

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<p>The Transit Center at Manas International Airport, where a provisional United States Air Force Air Combat Command unit is located, confirmed the accident. The center is used as a supply hub for U.S. forces stationed in Afghanistan.

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<p>The aircraft came down at around 2:30 p.m. local time, but the reason of the accident was not immediately known, nor was the fate of the three people on board the aircraft, as emergency teams have not been able to locate them. Witnesses told local media outlets that the impact caused the refueling aircraft to catch fire before it blew into pieces.

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