Iraq confirms its pilot died in Arizona military plane crash

The body of an Iraqi pilot whose military plane crashed during a training mission in the United States has been found at the crash site, Iraq's Defense Ministry said today, as violence continues to strike around the capital, Baghdad.
The ministry statement said search teams found the body of Brig. Gen. Rasid Mohammed Sadeeq at the crash site in southern Arizona.
He was the only person aboard when the F-16 Fighting Falcon plane went down during a Wednesday night training mission with the Arizona Air National Guard's 162nd Wing, the ministry said.
The crash site was 8 kilometers (5 miles) east of Douglas Municipal Airport, southeast of Tucson. A day earlier, a defense ministry official gave a different name for the killed pilot, identifying him as Brig. Gen. Rafid Mohammed Hassan. The ministry today had no explanation for the conflicting identities.

It said the death of Sadeeq would only make Iraqi security forces "more determined to defeat the forces of terrorism." Iraq is expecting its first batch of F-16 fighter planes - along with Iraqi pilots trained in the United States - and spare parts this summer. Iraqi military has said the planes would be immediately used to carry out operations against the extremist Islamic State group.
Later today, Iraqi police said a bomb exploded near an out-door market in Sabaa al-Bour area, just north of Baghdad, killing three shoppers and wounding 11. Also, a bomb blast near a bust stop killed two persons and wounded 11 in the Iraqi capital's northeastern suburbs of Husseinya.

Medical officials confirmed the casualties from both attacks. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.