US military refueling plane crashes in Iraq; rescue is underway

WASHINGTON — An American military refueling plane taking part in the operation against Iran crashed in Iraq and rescue efforts were underway, U.S. Central Command said Thursday.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. A U.S. official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the developing situation, said the KC-135 aircraft that crashed had at least five crew members aboard.

The crash was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire, the military said in a statement, which described the plane as “a loss.”

U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said that two aircraft were involved and that one landed safely and the other went down in western Iraq.

A second U.S. official, who similarly spoke on condition of anonymity, said the other plane involved also was a KC-135 tanker.

Man who rammed vehicle into Michigan synagogue ID’d

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. — The armed man who rammed his vehicle into one of the nation’s largest Reform synagogues has been identified as 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a naturalized citizen born in Lebanon, according to federal officials. Ghazali came to the U.S. in 2011 on an IR1 immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen and was granted U.S. citizenship in 2016, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Federal investigators have called the crime an act of violence targeting the Jewish community.

ROTC students subdue, kill shooter at Old Dominion University

The FBI says ROTC students subdued and killed a gunman who yelled “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire in a classroom at Virginia’s Old Dominion University. One victim was killed and two others were hurt Thursday. The FBI has identified the shooter as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a former Army National Guard member who pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State. He had been sentenced to 11 years in prison and was released from federal custody in December 2024. FBI Director Kash Patel says in a social media post that the shooting is being investigated as an act of terrorism.

The Associated Press