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BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — 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.
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.
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