A plane contracted by the U.S. military crashed in a rice field in the southern Philippines on Thursday, resulting in the deaths of all four people on board, U.S. Embassy and Philippine officials confirmed.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines verified that a light aircraft went down in Maguindanao del Sur province, though details surrounding the crash remain scarce.
According to U.S. Embassy spokesperson Kanishka Gangopadhyay, the aircraft was under contract with the U.S. military. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is expected to release a more comprehensive statement regarding the incident.
Local officials reported that the remains of four individuals, who appeared to be foreign nationals, were recovered from the wreckage in Ampatuan town. Additionally, a water buffalo on the ground was killed as a result of the crash, according to safety officer Ameer Jehad Tim Ambolodto of Maguindanao del Sur.
The presence of U.S. forces in the southern Philippines is longstanding, with personnel stationed at a Philippine military camp to provide training and advisory support to Filipino troops combating Muslim militant groups. The region, home to the country's Muslim minority, has been the site of ongoing security operations in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash as further details emerge.
This is a developing story.
