3 more bodies from crashed US military plane recovered in Japan

ANKARA

Three more bodies of crew members of a US military Osprey aircraft that crashed last week in waters off southwestern Japan were recovered on Wednesday.

Following the latest retrieval, six of the eight crew members aboard the ill-fated aircraft have been recovered, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

The US Air Force Special Operations Command and Japan Coast Guard, which have been taking part in recovery operations, continued their search for the remaining two crew members.

The Osprey CV-22 transport aircraft crashed off the coast of Yakushima Island in southwestern Japan last week.

It went off the radar five minutes before crashing at around 2:45 p.m. (0545GMT). The aircraft was operating from Yokota Air Base in the western suburbs of Tokyo.

Japan hosts around 50,000 American soldiers under a bilateral military agreement.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin said he is “deeply” saddened by the loss of eight American troops in the aircraft crash.

"The entire Department of Defense mourns alongside the families and the loved ones of those who lost their lives today in the service of their country. My heart also goes out to those who were serving alongside these brave men and women in Japan," he said in a statement on Tuesday.