Philippine Military Jet Misses Target; Two Soldiers Dead, 11 Wounded

A Philippine Marines APC speeds away as black smoke billows from burning houses after a  military air strike at militant positions in Marawi City.

Manila, 19 Shawwal 1438/13 July 2017 (MINA) – Two soldiers were killed and 11 wounded on Wednesday when a Philippine military jet missed its target in an airstrike against militants in Marawi City, a spokesman said.

It was the second incident in which soldiers were killed in friendly fire in the seven-week offensive to retake the besieged southern city from hundreds of militants, DPA reported.

“Initial report from Marawi indicates that the bomb was 250 meters off target. The impact of the explosion caused the collapse of nearby structures,” said Colonel Edgard Arevalo, a military spokesman.

“Large debris from heavily reinforced buildings accidentally hit two of our personnel who succumbed to death in the process,” he added.

“We are saddened by this unfortunate incident,” Arevalo said, adding an investigation was underway.

Since the  intense urban fighting ibroke out on May 23, at least 389 militants including foreign fighters, 90 soldiers and policemen, and 39 civilians have been killed. The battles have forced nearly 400,000 residents to flee from Marawi and outlying towns in Lanao del Sur province. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)