A plane hired by the US army crashed in southern Philippines: at least four dead

A plane hired by the US army crashed Thursday in a rice field in southern Philippines, killing the four people On board, officials of the United States Embassy and the Philippines said.

The Philippines Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the accident of a plane in the province of Maguindanao del Sur, but did not provide more details immediately.

By Infobae

The plane, identified as Beechcraft King Air 300 with Aircraft Registration N349C KANISHKA GANGOPADHYAYhe added that the United States Indo-Pacific Command will issue a more detailed statement on the plane crash.

The bodies of four people who seemed to be foreigners were recovered from the debris in the city of Ampatuan, said Amer Jehad Tim Ambolodto, a South Maguindanao security officer.

So far the identity of the victims is unknown.

Municipal rescuer Rhea Martin said that «the bodies were found near the plane,» he added: «The plane was cut into two».

A Water buffalo that was on the ground He also died As a result of the plane crash, local officials said.

Local media assured that face -to -face witnesses reported having seen the plane Flying low About ampatuan, as if he were inspecting the area, before suddenly falling into a field open in Barangay Malatimon.

The authorities have not yet determined the purpose and origin of the flight.

So far the cause of the accident was not identified.

“We can confirm that a plane hired by the US army crashed in Maguindanao del Sur on February 6. For more information, we refer to the United States Indo-Pacific Command, ”said Embassy spokesman Kanishka Gangopadhyay, in a text message to the Philippines news agency.

US forces have been deployed in a Filipino military camp in the south of the country to advise and train the Philippines that fight against Muslim militants. The region is the homeland of the Muslim minority in this mostly Catholic nation.

Joint maneuvers

The United States Armed Forces announced on Wednesday a series of military naval maneuvers with the participation of the forces of Australia, Philippines and Japan, a measure that arrives in full increase in tension with China And one day after the North American country launched similar exercises with the Philippine troops in disputed waters of the South China Sea.

The United States Navy has indicated in a brief statement that these maneuvers, on the contrary, It takes place in the «exclusive economic zone» of the Philippines. He objective is to guarantee the safety of the region Despite the opposition of the Chinese authorities, who have criticized the decision and ensure that «stability.»

Two FA-50 fighters of the Philippine Air Forces fly next to a United States B-1 bomber during maneuvers and a joint patrol on the South China Sea, on February 4, 2025. (Philippines Air Force via Ap )

On Tuesday, the armies of the United States and the Philippines launched training and interception work of aerial objects and carried out exercises that include an increase in aerial photographs on the South China Sea, which the Philippines refers as a sea of ​​Western Philippines.

China, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunéi dispute the islets and waters around the Spartly archipelagowhich have valuable resources and present large reserves of hydrocarbons, in addition to a situation of strategic importance at the crossroads of maritime routes between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The Asian giant continues to claim historical rights to claim 90% of the waters of the area, as well as the islets, reefs and rocks that extend at a distance of up to 2,000 kilometers of its coasts. This delimitation is known in China as the ‘nine -point line’, although the United States ensures that the objective of these claims is fundamentally military.