Philippine fighter jet and two pilots missing after rebel mission

A Philippine fighter jet and its two pilots are missing after an overnight mission against rebel fighters in the south of the country, military officials have said.

The FA-50 plane lost contact with other air force jets, which all returned safely to an air base in the Philippines’ central Cebu province.

An extensive search is now underway, with the military saying that it is “still very optimistic that they (the pilots) are safe.”

“We are hopeful of locating them and the aircraft soon and ask you to join us in prayer during this critical time,” air force spokesperson Consuelo Castillo said.

The counterinsurgency mission was against guerrillas from the New People’s Army. The Philippine military estimates that roughly 1,000 communist fighters remain after decades of fighting.

Peace talks between the communist rebels and the previous President Rodrigo Duterte broke down, with both sides blaming the other for the resumption of hostilities.

The government and the insurgents agreed to restart talks in 2023, but that has not happened under the country’s current leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Following the overnight incident, it was not clear whether the rest of the Philippines’ FA-50s would be grounded.

The Philippines, which acquired 12 of the jets in 2015, hopes to buy another dozen fighters of the same model and make from South Korea.

Aside from anti-insurgency operations, the fighter planes are also used to patrol the disputed South China Sea.