Moroccan jet goes missing in Yemen clashes

Houthi rebels in Yemen say they have shot down a Moroccan fighter jet that was taking part in Saudi-led coalition air strikes against them.

A Moroccan F16 fighter jet from the Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels in Yemen was hit in the fighting and has yet to be located, Moroccan armed forces say.

The plane was thought to have been shot down on Sunday, while the fate of the pilot remains unknown, the military said in a statement released by official news agency MAP.

The pilot flying directly behind the missing jet "could not confirm" if his colleague was able to escape the aircraft and get to safety or not, according to the statement.

Morocco joined the coalition "to restore legitimacy in Yemen" immediately after it was formed, a decision that was made without consulting the parliament, which is the prerogative of King Mohammed VI.

Morocco has reportedly provided six aircraft to the coalition's operational command, although little information has been disclosed about its involvement.

The F16s are apparently the same that flew in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.


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Source: AAP

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Moroccan jet goes missing in Yemen clashes | SBS News