A US Air Force fighter pilot was killed Monday in a non-combat-related crash in the Middle East, the military said in a statement.

A US Air Force fighter pilot was killed Monday in a non-combat-related crash in the Middle East, the military said in a statement.

The F-16 jet crashed as it was returning to its base at an unspecified location in the region shortly after take-off.

The crash did not happen in Iraq or Syria, where US planes are engaged in a bombing campaign against ISIL militants, officials stressed.

No further information was immediately available, and the cause of the incident was being investigated.