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10 dead after Greek Air Force F-16 crashes during NATO exercise in Spain 

Posted at 2:18 PM, Jan 26, 2015
and last updated 2015-01-26 14:21:54-05

(CNN) — Ten people died Monday after a Greek air force F-16 jet crashed at a base in Los Llanos in southeastern Spain, a senior Spanish defense official told CNN.

The jet crashed on takeoff, hitting other planes on the ground during a NATO training exercise, said the official, who by custom was not named.

Thirteen people were injured. The condition of the pilot of the F-16 is not yet known, Spain’s Defense Ministry said.

The nationalities of the victims have not yet been released.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he was “deeply saddened” by the crash.

“This is a tragedy which affects the whole NATO family. I express my heartfelt condolences to the loved ones and the nations of those who lost their lives, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” he said in a statement.

“The plane was taking part in an exercise in the framework of NATO’s Tactical Leadership Programme, which aims to improve multinational cooperation in air operations,” Stoltenberg said.