8 Troops on Board dead as Cuban Military Plane Crashes

A Cuban military plane crashed into a hillside Saturday in the western province of Artemisa, killing eight troops on board, the government said.

Cuba's military said in a statement that the Soviet-made AN-26 took off from the Playa Baracoa airport outside Havana at 6:38 a.m. and crashed outside the town of Candelaria about 40 miles (65 kilometers) away.

The weather was clear and sunny. The military said a special commission would investigate the cause of the crash. Officials did not immediately release any further information..