Iranian fighter jet crashes in the country’s south, killing 2 pilots

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — An Iranian fighter has jet crashed in the south of the country, killing the two pilots. State media reported. Identified the pilots as Col. Hamid Reza Ranjbar and Col. Manouchehr Pirzadeh, saying they were on a test flight after the plane was overhauled. The crash took place near the town of Firouzabad, some 770 kilometers (480 miles) south of the capital Tehran. The report did not elaborate on the type of plane or provide a cause for the crash. Video on the semiofficial Fars news agency showed columns of white smoke billowing from the remains of the aircraft.