US Drone Crashes in Turkey

ANKARA — A US military predator drone crashed Wednesday in southern Turkey, Turkish authorities said.

They said the drone crashed in a field after taking off from the Incirlik Air Base in Adana.

The MQ-1 Predator drone crashed in the Dogankent neighborhood of Yuregir district about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the base.

Security officials made the first examination at the scene of the crash, implementing heavy security measures. Two trailer trucks were brought in to transport the drone back to base.

In an official statement on its website, the 39th Comptroller Squadron announced that the Predator crashed at 1:40 a.m. due to a "mechanical breakdown."

"According to initial evaluations, there was a mechanical breakdown with the drone," the statement said. "Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the accident with certainty."

No injuries were reported, according to Air Force Times. The crash marks the second reported Predator loss for the Air Force in 2016. One crashed in Iraq Jan. 8 during a combat mission. Officials said that aircraft was not hit by enemy fire and not captured by enemy combatants.

Another MQ-1 predator drone crashed in the Kumlu district of the southern district of Hatay near Turkey's border with Syria on Oct. 20. Turkish jets also shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle of unknown nationality in the southern province of Kilis on Oct. 16.

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