Philippine fighter jet goes missing during mission against rebels

A Philippine FA-50 fighter jet and its two-man crew are missing after flying in support of ground forces fighting communist rebels in the southern Mindanao region, a military official said on March 4.

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MANILA -

Colonel Consuelo Castillo, a spokeswoman for the Philippine Air Force (PAF), said the jet was flying "over land" on the way to its target area when it went missing during a "tactical night operation in support of our ground troops".

While she declined to provide mission specifics, Colonel Louie Dema-ala, a spokesman for the Philippine Army, confirmed that the missing FA-50 was part of a squadron sent "to provide air support" to troops fighting communist rebels in Mindanao's Bukidnon province.

Lieutenant-Colonel Francisco Garello of the 4th Infantry Division said air support had been called in overnight during a firefight with the New People's Army in a mountainous area.

"There was a firefight between the 403rd Infantry Brigade (Philippine Army)... and they made a request for air support, so the air force supported the encounter," he said.

The long-running Maoist insurgency is now believed to have fewer than 2,000 guerilla fighters.