An Iraqi pilot flying an F-16 has crashed in Arizona and his status is unknown

(Reuters) - A military fighter jet crashed in Arizona on Wednesday during a night-time training mission, military officials said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the crash or whether the pilot, who was alone on board, managed to eject safely, it said.

The Iraqi defense minister has confirmed that the pilot involved in the crash was an Iraqi national who had been training in the US for the past four years. The cause of the crash is still uncertain, according to the Associated Press. 

Officials with the Cochise County Sheriff's Office told local broadcaster KOLD-TV that several homes had to be evacuated because of a large fire caused by the crash.

(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; editing by John Stonestreet)

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