MARAWI, Philippines -- A Philippine military official says an air force airstrike killed 11 soldiers and wounded seven others in “friendly fire'' as government forces struggled to rout the remaining Islamic extremists who laid a siege in a southern city for a week.
Military spokesman Brig Gen Restituto Padilla said Thursday a Marchetti S-211 jet was on a bombing run over militant positions in Marawi city Wednesday when one bomb hit an army position locked in close-range combat with the extremists.
Gen Padilla says the plane made three successful bombing runs before the wayward bombing happened. He added the military has ordered an investigation.