A group of F-16 fighter jets operated by the US Forces Korea departed South Korea last month to join a multinational exercise in Thailand, the aircraft's unit has said.

The unspecified number of F-16s assigned to the US 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan Air Base in Gunsan, 178 kilometers south of Seoul, left the country on Feb. 22 to take part in the annual Cobra Gold exercise, the unit recently said.

The exercise led by the United States and Thailand began last Tuesday and is set to end later this week. It also involves troops from South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia.

"8th Fighter Wing units have maintained a consistent presence in this full-spectrum readiness exercise across its 43 iterations, supporting the strong alliance and strategic relationship between the United States and the Kingdom of Thailand," the unit said in a release.

It marked the latest known deployment of USFK F-16s outside of South Korea. In January, six F-16s under the 8th Fighter Wing flew over to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, to conduct refueling operations. (Yonhap)