Pilot rehearsing display dies in fighter jet crash near Islamabad

A fighter pilot died after his F-16 jet crashed in a wooded area near Islamabad while practising aerobatic manoeuvres ahead of this month’s Pakistan Resolution Day celebrations.

Footage on social media and local TV showed black smoke rising from a tree-filled area under overcast skies today.

One video appeared to show the plane pulling out of a steep dive before heading behind a hill.

The roar of a jet engine then ends in a thump followed by a ball of fire.

There were no casualties on the ground or damage to property, the country’s air force said.

President Arif Alvi expressed his condolences to the family of the pilot.