2 killed, 10 injured after army plane crashes in northern Mali

By James Tasamba

KIGALI, Rwanda (AA) - A military aircraft crashed Tuesday in northern Mali, killing two people and injuring 10 others, the army announced.

The accident occurred around 9.30 a.m. local time (0930GMT) at Gao airport and involved a Sukhoi SU-25 fighter jet belonging to the Malian Armed Forces, the Malian army announced in a statement.

At least two people were killed, including the Russian pilot and a member of the ground crew staff, it said.

Russia had recently delivered the aircraft to Mali's armed forces.

The injured included two civilians who sustained minor injuries and eight military personnel, two of whom sustained serious injuries, the statement added.

The airport was briefly closed following the incident.

The aircraft was returning from a “mission in support of the civilian population” in the region, according to the army.

On Tuesday, Malian military leader Col. Assimi Goïta said he had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and the two reaffirmed their willingness to strengthen their countries’ cooperation in the field of security in order to eradicate terrorist groups on the territory of Mali.