Athens: A Greek fighter pilot died Thursday when his plane crashed in the Aegean while on a mission to intercept Turkish jets, Greece’s defense minister said.

“A Greek pilot joins the pantheon of heroes. He fell in the defense of our national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Defense Minister Panos Kammenos said in a tweet.

Defense ministry officials in Athens added that an air force fighter jet has crashed into the eastern Aegean Sea after returning from a patrol, and it is unclear whether the pilot survived.

The officials told state-run television that the Mirage 2000-5 crashed Thursday north of the island of Skyros. They gave no information about the possible cause of the crash.

Patrolling has intensified in recent weeks amid a spike in tensions between Greece and Turkey and near-daily mock dogfights in disputed airspace.

Greek navy ships and army helicopters are searching for the missing pilot.