An Iraqi fighter jet accidentally dropped a bomb over a Baghdad neighborhood while returning to its base today. A Reuters report said that five people were found dead, while the Associated Press reported that the bombing killed at least 12 people on the ground.
The Russian-made Sukhoi jet, used by the Iraqi government in air strikes against Islamic State militants, had a technical failure causing it to malfunction and drop the bomb in an neighborhood in eastern Baghdad, a military spokesman told the AP. One of the plane’s bombs did not detach during the air strike and consequently fell on to the city as the plane was returning to its base.
Three children and two women were among the dead, a police officer and medical officer told AP. Twenty-five people were reportedly wounded.
Iraqi troops are in a fierce fight against fighters from the Islamic State, also known as ISIL, which controls much of north and western Iraq.