Iraqi warplane accidentally bombs Baghdad
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Tags: Baghdad, Conflict, Iraqi, warplane
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At least 11 people have been killed after an Iraqi warplane accidentally dropped a bomb on Baghdad because of a “technical problem”.
The bomb, which fell from a Sukhoi Su-25 jet, exploded in the eastern part of the Iraqi capital, according to the AFP news agency, which cited security and medical officials.
The jet had been taking part in an airstrike against Islamic State militants. One of its bombs failed to detach from the plane during the mission then fell as the plane was returning to base.
“One of the bombs became stuck because of a technical problem, and during its return to base it fell on three houses in Baghdad Jadida,” security spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan said in a statement.
Iraq received Sukhoi Su-25 jets from Russia and Iran last year as it sought to bolster its fledgling air force to combat the Islamic State jihadist group, which overran large parts of the country.
The Su-25s are robust aircraft designed for ground attack missions, but Iraq’s Sukhoi fleet is made up of ageing planes that have seen heavy use as Baghdad’s forces battle to push the jihadists back.
The US agreed to sell Iraq 36 F-16 warplanes, but none have been delivered so far.
The first batch of the jets has instead been sent to Arizona, where Iraqi F-16 pilots are training.
One of the pilots, Brigadier Rasid Mohammed Sadiq, was killed in a crash during an aerial refuelling exercise at the end of June.
