Plane reportedly downed by rocket
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A plane carrying 11 people helping African peacekeepers burst into flames and crashed during a third day of fighting in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.
Local radio station Shabelle said the plane, a Russian-made Ilyushin used in the region to transport cargo and troops, was hit by a rocket as it took off.
“The plane, which was flying low-level, was hit by a rocket and then fell to the ground,” Shabelle reporter Maryan Hashi said.
A witness said he had encountered a survivor wandering dazed among the bodies and the wreckage of the plane.
Official sources said they assumed that most on board had died, but there was no immediate confirmation.
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