Nigeria's Top Army Commander Killed in Air Force Plane Crash

Nigeria's top-ranking army commander Lieutenant General Ibrahim Attahiru and other officers were killed on Friday when their plane crashed in bad weather in the country's north, officials said.

Chief of Army Staff Attahiru was only appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in January as part of a shakeup of the top military command to better fight surging violence and a more than decade-long militant insurgency.

In a statement, Buhari said the crash "was one mortal blow to our underbelly, at a time our armed forces are poised to end the security challenges facing the country.”

The army spokesman said on Twitter that ten other officers including the plane's crew also died in the crash in north Kaduna state.

The incident occurred as the plane was landing at the Kaduna International Airport "due to inclement weather," the armed forces said in a statement.

The crash occurred three months after a small Nigerian air force passenger plane went down just outside Abuja airport following alleged engine failure, killing all seven people on board.