A Philippine air force C-130 aircraft carrying troops crashed in a southern province Sunday after missing the runway and at least 40 people on board were rescued from the burning wreckage, the military chief said. The plane was transporting troops from southern Cagayan de Oro city, Sobejana said. Government forces have been battling Abu Sayyaf militants in the predominantly Muslim province of Sulu for decades. The airport in Sulu’s main town of Jolo is located a few kilometers (miles) from a mountainous area where troops have battled the Abu Sayyaf. The United States and the Philippines have separately blacklisted the Abu Sayyaf as a terrorist organization for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings.

Source: The Nation July 04, 2021 05:48 UTC