Body of Moroccan pilot found, returned home from Yemen
A Moroccan pilot missing since his plane crashed during a mission over Yemen has been found dead and his body returned home Tuesday, Saudi official media reported, according to AFP.
First Lieutenant Yassine Bahti, 26, is the first airman to die since a Saudi-led coalition began bombing Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on March 26.
His body was sent to Rabat, the Saudi Press Agency said.
"Since the first moments of the crash, a team from the Saudi defense ministry, its Moroccan counterpart and [the International Committee of] the Red Cross was formed to locate the body of the martyr," SPA said.
"Once the body was located, his family had requested it to be flown to Morocco and it was flown to Morocco through Djibouti."
SPA said Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman directed "that the Moroccan martyr be treated the same as a Saudi martyr, financially and morally."