An Iranian MiG-29 fighter jet crashed in the northwest of the country on Wednesday, prompting a rescue operation for the pilot, state media quoted Iran’s armed forces as saying. The military said in a statement that rescue teams were sent to the remote mountainous area but that they faced bad weather and snow-covered terrain, the state broadcaster IRIB reported. “Following the crash of a military plane in Ardabil (province), helicopter and rescue groups have been sent to the region,” Iran’s Red Crescent said in a statement on its website. Earlier reports by local news agencies said the plane had two pilots who were both killed, Reuters reported. State news agency IRNA said the jet went down at 9:00 am (0530 GMT) near Mount Sabalan, in the Lesser Caucasus range, and was a MiG-29 on a test flight after being overhauled. Iran’s third highest peak, Mount Sabalan, features a crater that turns into a lake at certain times of the year.