Iraqi Air Force plane crashes in IS-held area

BAGHDAD, March 17:  An Iraqi military spokesman says a reconnaissance and combat plane has crashed while on a mission over an Islamic State-controlled area in the country's north.

The spokesman for the Joint Military Command, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, told The Associated Press on Thursday that the Cessna 208 Caravan single-engine turboprop crashed on Wednesday while hovering near the town of Hawija, 210 kilometers (130 miles) north of Baghdad.


Rasool added that an investigation was underway to determine what caused the crash and the fate of its crew.

The IS-affiliated Aamaq news agency claimed it had shot down the aircraft, posting a video of a plane falling to the ground and militants gathering around the wreckage. The authenticity of the video could not be independently verified by the AP.

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