Egyptian F-16 fighter jet crashes, killing two

An F-16 fighter jet has crashed in north-eastern Egypt, killing two aircrew, the Egyptian military said on Thursday.

1 min read

28 January, 2016

Sinai has been the focus of a growing counter-insurgency campaign in Egypt [Getty]

An F-16 fighter jet has crashed during a training drill, killing its crew, Egypt's military has revealed.

Thursday's statement did not provide further details, but it is thought the aircraft had been based at the Ismailiyah airbase in the north-east of the country.

"These details only concern them," said military spokesman Mohamed Samir. "Why does it interest the media or anyone else?"

The pilots killed have since been identified as Mohammed Aziz and Mahmoud Morsi.

— Hassan Ridha (@sayed_ridha) January 27, 2016 " style="color:#fff;" class="twitter-post-link" target="_blank">Twitter Post

2 pilots killed when F-16 crashed in Ismailiyah #Egypt Maj. Mohamad Jamal Abdel Aziz Cpt. Mahmoud Mohamad Fuad Morsi pic.twitter.com/rgw8I7D5z1
— Hassan Ridha (@sayed_ridha) January 27, 2016

A day earlier, officials said a roadside bomb struck an armoured personnel carrier in the turbulent north of Egypt's Sinai peninsula, killing an army colonel and three soldiers.

Egyptian authorities have been facing a growing Islamist insurgency in North Sinai since the ousting of former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

The governorate has since become the scene of clashes between militants and the Egyptian armed forces, which have launched an intensified counter-insurgency crackdown.