Search team finds body of Iraqi pilot at Arizona site of military plane crash

The body of a pilot whose military plane crashed in Arizona during a training mission has been found.

Iraq’s Defense Ministry said Friday search teams found the body of Brig. Gen. Rafid Mohammed Hassan at the crash site.

The Air Force Times identified the man as Brig. Gen. Rafid Mohammed Sidq.

He was the only person aboard the F-16 Fighting Falcon that went down during a Wednesday night training mission with the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Wing.

The crash site was a few miles away from Douglas Municipal Airport, about two hours south of Tucson.

The Air Force Times reported that plane was owned by the Iraqi government and that Iraqi pilots had been training out of Tucson International Airport with the Air Guard.

Iraq was expecting its first batch of F-16s with U.S.-trained Iraqi pilots. Iraqi military has said the planes would be used to carry out operations against the extremist Islamic State group.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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