Military aircraft crashes during training in southern Egypt; pilot ejects safely

LUXOR, Egypt – Security officials say a Soviet-made MiG-21 fighter jet belonging to the Egyptian air force has crashed while on a training mission near the ancient city of Luxor in the south.

The officials say the pilot bailed out and parachuted safely to the ground before the plane crashed in a rural area outside of Luxor, setting several houses on fire. There were no injuries among the villagers.

Military spokesman Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali says on his official Facebook page that the plane crashed as a result of a mechanical failure. He gave no details.

The security officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.