Libyan military plane crashes in Benghazi: military

Military sources and a witness say the pilot ejected safely

TRIPOLI: A Libyan fighter jet engaged in paramilitary attacks on militants in the restive eastern city of Benghazi crashed and exploded on Tuesday after its pilot ejected safely, a military source and a witness said.

It was not immediately clear if the plane was shot down or suffered a malfunction, added General Sagr al-Jerouchi, chief of air operations for dissident general Khalifa Haftar.

A witness, who said he saw a parachute open before the crash, added that the warplane had just attacked militant positions.

Weekend fighting in Benghazi, cradle of the 2011 revolution that ousted dictator Moamer Kadhafi, killed dozens of people, mostly soldiers.

Combat erupted on Saturday when militants attacked the headquarters of a special forces unit near the city centre.

Since May, clashes have taken place in Benghazi on an almost daily basis.