US service member, contractors killed in Philippines crash

A U.S. service member and three defense contractors were killed in a Thursday crash in the Philippines, officials said.

A statement from U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said an aircraft contracted by the Pentagon crashed in the Province of Maguindanao del Sur, which is in the southern part of the country.

The crash occurred during a routine mission supporting the Philippines with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support.

Only the U.S. service member and the three defense contractors were on board, according to Indo-Pacific Command, which said there were no survivors.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. It wasn’t immediately clear what aircraft they were flying.

The U.S. operates several bases in the Philippines on a rotational basis. In the south, American forces assist Filipino troops against extremist Islamist militants.