A Marine Corps pilot was in stable condition Tuesday after he was ejected from his AV-8B Harrier II jet before it crashed during a training exercise in East Africa, according to news reports.
"Doctors said the pilot was in stable condition while being evaluated at Camp Lemonnier's expeditionary medical facility," Cmdr. Bill Urban, a spokesman for the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, told CNN.
The pilot, who was not identified, was ejected during takeoff from Djibouti Ambouli International Airport slightly after 4 p.m. local time.
The command, based at Camp Lemonnier, has about 4,000 troops and oversees U.S. operations in the region. It is the only permanent U.S. military base in Africa.
"There are no reports of injuries to personnel on the ground nor damage to infrastructure at the airport," Urban added. "The airport is open."
The jet was part of a training exercise with the U.S. Central Command and was assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 162 and embarked abroad the USS Iwo Jima Navy destroyer.
The cause of the accident was under investigation, Urban said.
A defense official told CNN that the jet was supporting "Alligator Dagger," a training exercise in international waters off the coast of Djibouti.
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