Iraqi army plane crashes, 3 missing: Military source

An Iraqi army aircraft has crashed during a reconnaissance flight near the country’s northern city of Kirkuk with its three crew members reported missing, a source with the Iraqi military says.

The source was quoted by AFP as saying on Wednesday that the Cessna 208 Caravan had crashed due to a “technical problem,” at a location about 220 km north of the capital, Baghdad.

According to the unnamed source, Iraqi authorities have launched a search operation for the missing crew members and the aircraft.

Meanwhile, a statement released by the terrorist Daesh group claimed it had downed a military plane with anti-aircraft artillery, which had been carrying out bombing attacks against the city of Hawijah, a stronghold of the militants in Kirkuk Province.

The recent incident comes as the Iraqi army has been making gains against Daesh Takfiri terrorists.

SS