BEIRUT (AP) — A Syrian military plane crashed into the de facto capital of the Islamic State group on Tuesday, killing at least eight people, as thousands of its residents fled to nearby villages in anticipation of expected U.S. airstrikes against the militants, activists said

There were conflicting reports about what caused the aircraft to slam into the northeastern city of Raqqa. The Britain-based Observatory for Human Rights said the plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, while an activist based in the city said it may have experienced a technical failure.