Soldiers are searching for a fighter jet that went missing during a midnight military operation in the Philippines.

The military aircraft departed from the Mactan–Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu province but reportedly lost contact with the rest of the contingent minutes before landing in the early hours of March 4.

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) said there were two aircrew onboard.

In a statement, PAF spokesman Colonel Maria Consuelo Castillo said: 'The PAF is conducting extensive and thorough search operations, utilising all available resources, to locate the missing jet fighter aircraft. Our primary concern is the safe return of our aircrew. We are hopeful of locating them and the aircraft soon, and ask you to join us in prayer during this critical time.

'We are hopeful that we will still be able to recover. We are more concerned about the safety of the aircrew right now, and we are still very optimistic that they are safe.'

She added it was the 'first major incident' involving the fighter plane.

An army commander said the fighter jet, a light combat FA-50 aircraft, went missing at around the same time military airstrikes were carried out in Bukidnon province on Mindanao island, some 420 kilometres (260 miles) south of the Cebu air base.

Colonel Antonio Duluan Jr, commander of the Army's 403rd Infantry Brigade, said the strike was launched to support soldiers battling dozens of alleged communist rebels in the Pantaron mountain range.

Major Francisco Garello, spokesman for the army's 4th Infantry Division, said: 'Our forces requested close air support from our air assets to preserve our forces and to avoid casualties.'

Rescue teams have been deployed to scour the mountains, officials said.

The PAF said it has a fleet of 12 FA-50 light combat planes, adding plans were underway to acquire 12 more from Korea Aerospace Industries.

On February 6, a plane carrying four Americans crash-landed on the same island.

The twin turboprop aircraft reportedly plummeted from the sky and smashed into a rice field, killing a U.S. service member and three defence contractors onboard.

The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the aircraft had been providing intelligence support at the request of Philippine officials.