A Yemeni pilot died and a trainee was hurt after a MiG-21 jet fighter crashed on takeoff in the Anad military base in south Yemen on Monday, military sources in Sanaa said.
"The fighter crashed minutes after its takeoff. It was on training and a technical problem was to blame for the crash," the sources said.
General Ateeq Al-Akhali was killed and the trainee Sidqi Al-Marrani was injured in the crash, they added.
The US is currently using the Yemeni military base, Al-Anad, in Lahj province for its operations against the militants of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, AQAP.
US drones and special forces were sent to the base when the Yemeni army launched an offensive against the militants earlier this year.
Many militants, including senior leaders wanted by Yemen and the US, were killed in drone strikes during the offensive that drove militants out of their strongholds in Abyan and Shabwa provinces and during the ongoing massive hunt for key operatives.