Iraqi F-16 jet crashes during training mission in U.S.

BAGHDAD, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Defense Ministry Wednesday said that one Iraqi F-16 jet fighter crashed during a training mission in the United States.

"An Iraqi Air Force F-16 fighter aircraft crashed in Arizona at dawn today in Baghdad timing during a training mission. The incident resulted in the death of one of the pilots of the Iraqi Air Force," the ministry said in a brief statement.

The Iraqi Defense Minister ordered a joint investigation on the reason behind the crash, the statement said without giving further details about the name and the rank of the killed pilot.

Earlier, the Iraqi government ordered 36 Lockheed Martin F-16 jet fighters, as Iraqi pilots have been training on the new aircraft since 2012.