Airstrikes kill 11 Philippine troops 13 Turkish soldiers die in helicopter crash
A Philippine air force plane dropping bombs on Islamic extremists killed 11 soldiers and wounded seven others in “friendly fire” as government forces were struggling to rout the militants who have laid a weeklong siege in a southern city, the military said Thursday.
The Marchetti S-211 jet was on a bombing run over militant positions in Marawi city on Wednesday when one bomb hit army troops locked in close-range combat with the extremists who have taken cover in buildings and houses, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said.
The plane had made three successful bombing runs before dropping the wayward bomb.
Padilla said the military has ordered an investigation of the friendly fire, which reflects the difficulty faced by government forces to contain the insurrection despite their overwhelming number and firepower.
“Despite the stringent procedure followed, there happens even with the best of armed forces, a case of friendly fire hitting our own troops,” Padilla told AP.
Military chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Ano has ordered an investigation partly to prevent another incident, Padilla said, as government forces, backed by more than 30 assault aircraft, continue to advance toward the remaining positions of the militants, 89 of whom have been killed in the intense fighting with several others surrendering and now providing intelligence to the military.
At least 25 soldiers and five policemen have been killed in clashes.
Thirteen Turkish soldiers were killed when a military helicopter crashed after hitting a high-voltage power line in the southeast, the army said.
The AS532 Cougar helicopter crashed on Wednesday, shortly after taking off from a base in Sirnak province bordering Iraq, killing all 13 on board, it said in a statement. “Our hero comrades in the helicopter fell as martyrs,” the army said.
Initial findings showed the crash was the result of an accident, it said, adding that an investigation was underway. Turkey’s chief of staff, General Hulusi Akar, travelled to the region to carry out an inspection, Anadolu said. Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek, Defence Minister Fikri Isik and Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu were also travelling to the region, it added.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was briefed about the accident after chairing the country’s top National Security Council meeting in Ankara, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
The local governor’s office said rescue teams were dispatched. In March, seven people, including four Russians, were killed when a privately-owned helicopter crashed in Istanbul after hitting a television tower. AFP