This archive report was first published on 22 July 2019.
On July 22, 2019, a warplane from forces loyal to Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar made an emergency landing in southern Tunisia, according to a statement from an administration based in eastern Libya.
The aircraft was on a reconnaissance and patrol mission when it suffered a technical problem, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing on a road near the city of Medenine, approximately 100 kilometers from the Libyan border.
Tunisia's defense ministry mobilized a fighter jet to intercept and identify the aircraft, but it had to make an emergency landing, the ministry said. One colonel was on board the warplane.
Local residents, including children, gathered near the jet, while the pilot spoke to Tunisian authorities. The warplane was transporting two bombs, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.
The incident highlights the ongoing conflict in Libya, where more than 1,000 people have been killed and over 100,000 displaced since Haftar's forces launched an offensive in April to seize Tripoli from the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA).
