An Iraqi military plane returning from a raid targeting ISIS positions mistakenly dropped a bomb on a Baghdad neighborhood on Monday, killing or wounded at least 16 residents, an official said.
“There were technical problems with a Sukhoi military plane while it was flying above a residential area in eastern Baghdad,” Iraqi security spokesman Brig. Gen. Saad Maan told NBC News. “The bomb fell out and destroyed three houses.”
He said that women and children were among the victims but did not specify how many people had been killed. But speaking to Reuters, police in the Ni’riya neighborhood of eastern Baghdad put the death toll at five.
According to Maan, the plane’s pilot was considered one of the best in the country.
The jet had been taking part in airstrikes against ISIS militants, Iraqi television reported.
The government had a formed a committee to investigate the incident and find out what caused the bomb to fall out of the aircraft, Maan said.
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Source: NBC news