By Laith Al-jnaidi
BAGHDAD (AA) - Iraqi media reported late Thursday that a military aircraft believed to be American crashed in Basra province in southern Iraq.
The Baghdad Today news website quoted Basra lawmaker Abdul Amir Al-Mayahi as saying that a warplane had crashed in the Abu Skhair area of the province, adding that preliminary information suggests the aircraft may belong to the US
Al-Mayahi said security forces quickly moved to the crash site as investigations began.
Meanwhile, accounts affiliated with the “Iraqi resistance” circulated reports of the crash and called on residents to search for the American pilot and capture him.
Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV also quoted the Basra Police Command as saying its personnel had been directed to search for a US pilot who fell within the province’s boundaries.
No immediate comment has been issued by US authorities regarding the reported incident.
*Writing by Rania Abushamala in Istanbul.