5 killed, 30 rescued after military plane crashes in Philippines

(PTI) Manila, Dt

A Philippine Air Force C-130 crashed while trying to land in the southern province on Sunday, killing eight people. However, more than 50 people were rescued from the wreckage. The plane crashed on some villagers. The dead included three soldiers and three civilians. "Rescue and relief operations are still ongoing," said Defense Minister Delphine Lorenzana. The plane was carrying approximately eight soldiers, including three pilots and five crew. The pilots survived the crash, but suffered serious injuries.

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules was two older US Air Force aircraft delivered to the Philippines as part of military assistance this year. The Air Force plane crashed Sunday afternoon in the village of Bangkal in the mountain town of Patikulan in the Philippine province of Sulu, Chief of Staff General Cyrilito Sobeja said.

Military officials said more than 50 people were rescued on board the plane and taken to hospital. The search for the remaining soldiers continues. The Philippine military said in a statement that some witnesses to the crash said some of the passengers had jumped out of the plane before it crashed to the ground. The trooper showed the rear of the cargo plane in an initial photo of the crash site. The front of the plane was burned or scattered following an accident.

The cargo plane was carrying troops from southern Cagayan de Oro to the city of their deployment in Sulu. Many of the soldiers aboard the plane were new, having just completed basic training, officials said. Government forces have been fighting the Abu Sayyaf terrorist organization in the Muslim-majority province of Sulu for decades. The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Regional Military Commander Lef. People. The plane is less likely to have been attacked, Corleto Vinlau said. Several witnesses say the plane crashed near the runway at the airport premises.

Air Force officials said the runway in Jolo is much shorter than other airports in the country, making it very difficult for pilots to find a place to land. The airport in Jolo, the main city of Sulu, is just a few kilometers from the mountains. Is far away. Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group active in the region, has been blacklisted separately by the United States and the Philippines. At the end of 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte increased the military presence in Sulu and deployed hundreds of additional troops. Abu Sayyaf is also associated with the terrorist group Islamic State.

Security forces have eliminated hundreds of militants linked to the Islamic group in a five-month operation in the southern city of Maravi. More than 100 people, including top commanders of the Abu Sayyaf terrorist organization, have been killed in months-long air and ground attacks. The Philippine government has been facing Muslim and communist infiltrators for decades.