A fighter jet from Libyan pro-government forces crashed while on a training mission Thursday, killing its two crew, a military source said. The MiG-23 went down near the town of Tarhuna about 60 kilometres (40 miles) south-east of Tripoli, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. The plane had taken off from the airbase attached to Tripoli's Mitiga airport, the source said, adding that the cause of the crash was not immediately known.
The plane belonged to forces loyal to Libya's internationally backed Government of National Accord (GNA), which is facing off with rival factions for control of the chaos-ridden country. Pro-GNA forces operate a fleet of ageing fighter jets inherited after the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed long-time dictator Muammar Qadhafi. The aircraft carried out regular sorties against the Islamic State group during the offensive that saw the jihadists earlier this month driven from their former Libyan stronghold of Sirte.