Conventional bomb killed 11 soldiers in Marawi airstrike —Lorenzana

It was a conventional bomb, not a precision-guided missile, that killed 11 soldiers in the friendly fire incident that marred the military's bid to rid Marawi City of ISIS-linked Maute group bandits, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Thursday.

At a press briefing in Malacañang, Lorenzana admitted that the government ran out of precision-guided missiles.

“We still have precision guided na kapag pinakawalan talaga kung saan naka-indicate ang area, pupunta doon," Lorenzana said.

"Pero medyo naubusan na tayo niyan and iyong mga ibang aircraft they are now using conventional bombs na kapag hinulog nila, nagkamali ka ng hulog diyan, pag-dive mo tapos you go up, either mapauna o mapa-delay iyong release mo, then you will not hit the target,” he added.

“The first aircraft hit the target squarely, iyong pangalawa—dalawa-dalawa kasi iyan eh, they are operating in tandem, in buddies. We do not know yet kung ano nangyari. We are still investigating,” Lorenzana said.

Lorenzana said that it was the first time that the Philippine Air Force was involved in such an accident.

Clashes between the military and the Maute forces began on May 23 when the terrorists burned buildings in the city.

They also abducted a priest and his parishioners and committed other atrocities. —NB, GMA News