KUWAIT: A Kuwait Air Force F-18 fighter jet crashed during a military exercise north of Kuwait Wednesday afternoon, the Kuwait Army announced, adding that the pilot has been martyred. An investigation was opened into the incident. First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Interior Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Saud Al-Sabah, and all members of the Defense Ministry, both military and civilian, mourned the martyred pilot Mohammed Mahmoud Abdulrasoul of the Kuwait Air Force, who passed away after his plane crashed.

According to a statement issued by the Defense Ministry, the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior prayed to Allah Almighty to bestow His mercy on the deceased, to grant him a place in heaven, and to inspire his family with patience and solace.

Earlier on Wednesday, Defense Ministry spokesman Colonel Hamad Al-Saqr announced the crash of an F-18 fighter jet belonging to the Kuwait Air Force and the martyrdom of its pilot while he was carrying out a training flight mission in the north of the country this afternoon. Al-Saqr added in a statement issued by the Defense Ministry that investigation teams began their tasks to find out the details of the incident and its causes.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday expressed its deepest condolences to Kuwait over the crash of a Kuwaiti Air Force plane, which resulted in the martyrdom of its pilot. The Foreign Ministry extends its sincere condolences to Kuwait, its people, and the family of the martyr over this painful loss.

Also, the Bahrain Defense Force (BDF) General Command expressed its deepest condolences and solidarity with Kuwait over the crash of a Kuwaiti Air Force fighter jet on Wednesday. In a statement, the BDF General Command offered its sincere condolences to Kuwait’s leadership, government, and people, as well as to the family and relatives of the martyr, asking Allah Almighty to bestow His mercy upon him and to inspire his family and relatives, and to bestow upon Kuwait continued blessings of security and stability. — KUNA