Moroccan army says no evidence crashed jet pilot in Yemen died

RABAT (Reuters) - Morocco's army said on Wednesday there was no evidence the pilot of F-16 fighter jet that crashed during air strikes in Yemen has died and searches for him were still under way. Backed by the United States, a Saudi-led coalition has been conducting air strikes against the Houthis and army units loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh since March 26 with the aim of restoring the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. A Moroccan F-16 warplane taking part in the coalition went missing last Sunday but the fate of its pilot remains unclear. The Houthis' official news channel al-Masirah said on Monday that anti-aircraft guns had downed the F-16 over in the remote Wadi Nashour area in the northwestern province of Saada, a Houthi stronghold bordering Saudi Arabia. There was no news on the pilot in that TV report. "No formal evidence has confirmed the death of F-16 jet pilot following the crash," the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) said in a statement carried by the state news agency MAP. Analysis showed that photos and images of the crash released on websites and social media may have been manipulated, the statement said. The FAR also condemned the publication of photos of the pilot in the Moroccan media, saying it could endanger his life. Morocco announced its backing of Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the operation and has had F-16 warplanes stationed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Yemen's dominant Houthi group accepted a five-day humanitarian ceasefire proposed by its adversary Saudi Arabia on Sunday but said it would respond to any violations of the pause.