Iraqi Jet Accidentally Drops Bomb in Baghdad Neighborhood, Killing 12
Iraqi officials announced this week that an Iraqi military fighter jet accidentally dropped a bomb over a Baghdad neighborhood, killing 12.
Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Saad Maan Ibrahim told the Associated Press that a technological malfunction caused the Russian-made Sukhois fighter jet to accidentally drop the bomb on a residential neighborhood in the country's capital.
According to the Wall Street Journal, media footage from the bomb drop shows hundreds of civilians gathered around collapsed buildings and homes. Some footage shows rescue teams ushering a survivor to a nearby medical area.
The Iraqi government has been fighting to contain the Islamic State terrorist group through a series of air strikes. The Wall Street Journal reports that the pilot of the Sukhois fighter jet had attempted to release the bomb six times while on his mission, and was eventually returning toward base due to low fuel when the bomb released over the Baghdad neighborhood.
Recently, seven Iraqi soldiers were killed when a bulldozer carrying explosives blew up near the town of Haditha in the large western province of Anbar.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama announced this week that more progress is being made against the terrorist group, telling reporters at the Pentagon that "in short, ISIL's recent losses in both Syria and Iraq prove that ISIL can and will be defeated."
The president added that the U.S. approach of combining U.S. air power with ground power from Iraqi troops has proven successful in defeating some Islamic State troops.
