A U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot was killed in a crash in the Middle East on Sunday, U.S. Central Command said Monday morning.
The jet was tasked to bomb targets in support of operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign against the Islamic State group, according to CENTCOM. The command would not say if the jet was headed to Iraq or Syria.
While the jet was on a combat mission, the crash was not a combat-related incident. The pilot encountered a problem shortly after takeoff and was returning to base when the F-16 crashed at about 11 p.m.
The command did not say where the base was located.
First responders remained on the scene Monday, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.
The pilot has not been named, and additional details will be released when available, CENTCOM said.
The mishap happened as U.S. and coalition aircraft continue to attack Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq. Between Nov. 26 and Nov. 28, coalition aircraft carried out 15 airstrikes, including taking out a a tactical unit, fighting positions and multiple vehicles.
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“In order to fight as joint and coalition forces,” Lt. Col. Steve Wyatt said, “we need to understand each other’s capabilities and limitations, and how each entity operates and communicates.”
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