Militants shoot down Libyan fighter jet

A Libyan MIG32 was striking the positions of Islamic State militants and other militias in the eastern town of Derna when it came under fire by anti-aircraft guns.

Written by: Press Trust of India

Published: February 9, 2016, 1:57 AM IST

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https://www.india.com/news/world/militants-shoot-down-libyan-fighter-jet-930850/ Copy

Benghazi, Feb 9: Libya’s air force chief of staff says a fighter jet was shot down while carrying out airstrikes against Islamic militants. Brig. Gen. Saqr al-Jaroushi told The Associated Press that a Libyan MIG32 was striking the positions of Islamic State militants and other militias in the eastern town of Derna when it came under fire by anti-aircraft guns on Monday. He says the pilot ejected and landed safely. Also Read: ISIS numbers go down in Iraq, Syria; Up in Libya

The spokesman for a coalition of Islamic militias in Derna, Abdul-Moneim al-Shairy, confirmed that his group fired at the jet. Four civilians were killed in Derna by an airstrike the day before. Al-Jaroushi says that strike was carried out by a “neighboring country,” in a thinly-veiled reference to Egypt. Egyptian army spokesman Mohamed Samir denied his country’s forces carried out the strike.