A U.S. Marine and three defense contractors lost their lives in a plane crash in southern Philippines. The Beechcraft King Air 350 was on a routine surveillance mission for U.S.-Philippine security cooperation when it went down in Maguindanao del Sur. Eyewitnesses reported seeing smoke and hearing an explosion before the aircraft crashed. Investigations are underway to determine the cause, while local officials confirmed that no injuries occurred on the ground. The names of the deceased are withheld pending family notifications, highlighting the ongoing support of U.S. forces in the region against Muslim militants.