Forces loyal to Libyan strongman General Khalifa Haftar have said they shot down a fighter jet over Tripoli and captured its European pilot.

The self-styled Libyan National Army told The Independent its forces took down a Mirage F1 French attack aircraft over a suburb of the capital.

The LNA is currently battling armed groups and militias affiliated with the United Nations-recognised government in Tripoli.

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

A LNA spokesperson, who asked to remain unnamed, said the pilot, a Portuguese national, survived and was now in its custody.

They also sent photos of the alleged crash site and the pilot, which cannot be independently verified.

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The photos sent by the spokesperson appeared to show a foreign national, whose head, face and clothes were covered in blood, sitting on a chair in an office flanked by LNA officials.

The terrified looking pilot, who has two tattoos on his chest and arm, appears to be wearing a military pilot jump suit.

In one image, LNA commander Major General Abdulsalam al-Hassi, who is head of Haftar’s operations room in the area, is photographed standing behind him.

A man in military fatigues can be seen attending to a wound on his head.

“We downed a Mirage F1 and this is the pilot from Portugal,” a spokesperson for the forces told The Independent.

“He is safe… [and has has been] treated from wounds due to his crash,” the spokesperson added.

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Earlier, a fake Facebook account falsely attributed a spokesperson from the LNA saying the jet was a European surveillance plane used by the EU’s Operation Sophia in monitoring illegal migrant smuggling routes in the Mediterranean.

The LNA issued a statement denying reports that the pilot was working for the EU and that he was being returned to his country.

This is not the first report of the use of mercenaries in Libya.

Both sides have traded accusations of foreign support, which may contravene a UN arms embargo on the country since 2011.

Haftar’s forces have repeatedly claimed militias fighting on behalf of the UN-recognised Government of National Accord have used multiple foreign mercenaries including pilots and soldiers from the US, Portugal, Ecuador, Turkey and the Ukraine.

Fayez al-Serraj, the head of the GNA, meanwhile has accused Haftar of being backed by foreign powers but declined to identify which countries.

In the past Haftar has allegedly received weapons support from Egypt, the UAE and Russia.

Haftar surprised the UN-backed authorities by launching a military operation on Tripoli just weeks before a scheduled 14 April meeting with Sarraj, during which they were supposed to hammer out details of plans to host elections later in the year.</s>Dozens of "yellow vest" protesters rallied Tuesday in the Libyan capital to denounce what they said was France's support for military strongman Khalifa Haftar who has launched an offensive on Tripoli.

The demonstrators donned yellow vests in a nod to the jackets worn by anti-government protesters who have been rallying across France since November.

"France must stop backing the rebel Haftar," read one sign held up by the demonstrators gathered in central Tripoli's Algiers Square.

Another sign read: "France supplies weapons to the rebels (in exchange) for petrol."

Fierce fighting between forces loyal to Haftar and those backing the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) has rocked Libya since the offensive on Tripoli was launched earlier this month.

At least 174 people have been killed and 758 wounded in the battle for control over the Libyan capital, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.

Pro-government forces and Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA) accuse each other of targeting civilians, with each launching daily air raids in addition to clashes on the ground.

Haftar is seen by his allies -- Egypt and the United Arab Emirates -- as a bulwark against Islamists who have gained a foothold in Libya after the 2011 uprising that ousted and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

But many also consider France as a key backer of the military strongman, a charge denied by French authorities.

Tuesday's protesters called for diplomatic ties to be severed with countries that "back aggression" on Tripoli.

"Supporting Haftar by other governments is a declaration of war" against Libya, read another sign held by protesters.

Last week, a French diplomatic source said authorities in Paris have "no hidden plans" concerning Hafter and would not recognise his legitimacy should he overrun Tripoli.

But supporters of the UN-backed GNA say France has blocked resolutions at the UN Security Council, the European Union and other international bodies denouncing Haftar's offensive.

A British-drafted resolution obtained Tuesday by AFP at UN headquarters in New York has been presented to the Security Council and demands an immediate ceasefire in Libya.

The proposed measure said the offensive by the LNA "threatens the stability of Libya and prospects for a United Nations-facilitated political dialogue and a comprehensive political solution to the crisis".

The GNA on Tuesday called for Europe's support against Haftar.</s>The east Libyan faction that launched an assault on Tripoli last month said it had shot down and captured a European mercenary flying an attack jet for the internationally recognized government.

The Libyan National Army, which fighting rivals militias allied with the country's UN-supported government, said it shot down a fighter jet the man was flying south of the capital on Monday.

The media unit of the LNA released photographs and video of a wounded man being interrogated in English on Tuesday afternoon. One picture showed an LNA commander, Abdulsalam al-Hassi, standing behind him.

In footage published by pro-LNA media, the man gives name that sounds like "Jimmy Reese." He says he is 29 years old, from Portugal, and that he was flying on a "civilian contract" to "destroy roads and bridges."

Asked who recruited him, he said he signed a contract with a man called Hadi but did not know his second name.</s>Forces loyal to Libya's internationally recognised government and a rival commander battled for control of the capital Thursday after UN chief Antonio Guterres warned the country faced a "very dangerous situation".

Thousands of people have fled heavy fighting on the outskirts of Tripoli that has left dozens dead and prompted mounting global alarm.

Guterres appealed Wednesday for a halt to hostilities to prevent the situation spiralling out of control.

"It's still time to stop," he told reporters after briefing the UN Security Council in a closed session in New York.

"It's still time for a ceasefire to take place, for a cessation of hostilities to take place, and to avoid the worst, which would be a dramatic, bloody battle for Tripoli."

Nearly a week of fighting on the city's doorstep has already killed 56 people and wounded 266, the World Health Organization said.

"Thousands of people have fled their homes, while others are trapped in conflict areas. Hospitals inside and outside (Tripoli) are receiving daily casualties," it said.

The UN chief was in Libya when forces loyal to military strongman Khalifa Haftar last week launched an offensive to capture the capital, which is controlled by a UN-backed government and an array of militias.

Haftar backs a rival administration based in eastern Libya that refuses to recognise the authority of the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Fayez al-Sarraj.

"Our forces continue to advance on all fronts and are converging on the centre of the capital," Ahmad al-Mesmari, spokesman of Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), said Thursday at a press conference.

He said the LNA had issued arrest warrants against Sarraj and other GNA officials for "treason", "support for terror groups" and "conspiracy with foreign countries".

The Security Council met for more than two hours behind closed doors to consider how to address the fighting, which has derailed efforts to end the instability that has beset Libya since its 2011 uprising.

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said the situation in Libya was "increasingly worrying".

She called for the "full implementation of the humanitarian truce" and the "return to the political negotiations and the political track".

The United Nations postponed a national conference that was to open on Sunday to draw up a roadmap to elections, meant to turn the page on years of turmoil since the NATO-backed overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

Heavy clashes shook Ain Zara, a town dotted with farms on the southeastern outskirts of Tripoli where pro-GNA fighters managed to reverse an advance by Haftar's forces.

On the town's main street, lined with shops and houses, a sand barrier erected by pro-GNA forces separated the two camps.

"Today, the criminals of Haftar's group have advanced, but we destroyed a tank and two armoured vehicles," said a pro-GNA fighter who gave his name as Youssef.

Behind him, artillery fire stirred up a cloud of sand as the sound of machine guns and anti-aircraft guns rang out.

Suddenly a shell sliced through the air and hit a nearby house.

"You see, he (Haftar) wants to destroy our houses and all of Tripoli," one of the fighters shouted.

The GNA took journalists to a prison in the area, where director Ayad Enjem said "75 combatants" of Haftar's LNA fighters had been detained since Friday.

"Several are younger than 16 years old" said Enjem, as representatives from a UN agency interviewed the prisoners.

One detainee told AFP he was 16 and had been recruited recently in Sabratha, to the west of Tripoli.

More than 100 others are being held in a prison in the coastal town of Zawiya, some 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of the capital, according to its head Abdelbasset Abu Ajeila.

Haftar's forces, which control swathes of the country's east, said on Wednesday they had seized a barracks in the Aziziya area around 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Tripoli after "ferocious clashes".

They said several fighters loyal to the UN-backed government had been detained and their weapons seized.

"For the moment, it's still a game of cat and mouse," a commander from a pro-GNA group said Wednesday.

"We're still organising ourselves. The war hasn't truly started," he told AFP in Ain Zara.

Haftar's forces appear to be advancing on two fronts, from the south and southeast of Tripoli, while coastal roads to the east and west of the city are defended by fighters loyal to the GNA.

The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Russia are key allies of Haftar, a former Kadhafi military chief who has emerged as a major player in Libya's political struggle.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday the alliance was "deeply concerned by the situation in Libya."

"The current military operation and advance on Tripoli are increasing the suffering of the Libyan people and putting civilian lives at risk," he said.

Although casualties remain limited so far, the International Crisis Group warned further escalation "could precipitate a humanitarian disaster".

"If unleashed, a full-fledged offensive could become a proxy war between regional powers and cause innumerable casualties as well as immense devastation," the think tank said.</s>The Libyan National Army (LNA) said the military plane they had shot down in southern Tripoli belonged to the EU’s Operation Sophia and that they will immediately return its foreign Portuguese pilot.

The LNA said that initial information proved that the plane was a European surveillance plane used to monitor the illegal migrant smuggling routes in the Mediterranean.

“We will deliver the Portuguese pilot to his country immediately after the treatment of his wounds and we appreciate the work of our European brothers in the fight against illegal immigration,” LNA spokesperson Ahmed Mismari said in a statement.

“We care about the safety of the Portuguese pilot and treat him as a guest rather than a prisoner. What happened was a mistake as a result of the state of war we are going through, and we will hand him over to the European Sofia operation immediately,” Mismari added.

The LNA forces of military commander Khalifa Haftar said they had shot down a military plane in the southern district of al-Hira on Saturday.

Earlier, there were conflicting reports regarding the pilot’s nationality, with some claiming he was an Italian. But in a video seen by Al Arabiya English, the pilot, appearing with a head injury, identified himself by name and said he is from Portugal.

In early April, Haftar, who commands forces loyal to a rival government based in eastern Libya, launched a wide-ranging campaign to capture Tripoli, where the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) is headquartered.</s>LIBYA – The Libyan National Army (LNA) captured 29-year-old Jimmy Reiss, a Portuguese mercenary pilot, who was flying a Mirage F1 warplane of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) before it was shot down by LNA this morning.

Here is footage of the early moments in which the Libyan National Army (LNA) shot down a Mirage F1 warplane of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) this morning.

Footage showing soldiers of the Libyan National Army (LNA) arresting the 29-year-old Portuguese pilot of a Mirage F1 warplane of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), which LNA shot down this morning in Tripoli.

Early footage of wreckage of a Mirage F1 warplane of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA), which the Libyan National Army (LNA) shot down this morning in Tripoli.</s>Troops loyal to Libyan warlord Khalifa Haftar claimed to have shot down a fighter jet being flown by a Portuguese mercenary near the capital Tripoli.

The Mirage F1, which they said belonged to the rival Unity Government, was downed in Al-Hira region, 50 miles (70km) south of the capital, Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army said on its Facebook page Tuesday.

The Libyan National Army paraded the pilot for the cameras and took a video in which he identifies himself as Jimmy Reis and says he is 29 years old.

Video showed the pilot looking groggy and wearing a blood-soaked T-shirt and khaki jacket, being questioned in English.

Asked what he was doing in Libya, he said: "I was requested to destroy roads and bridges".

Asked who sent him, he said it was a civilian contract with someone called Hadi but he did not know his full name.

In Lisbon, the Portuguese Defence Ministry and they could not confirm the pilot's nationality.

"For now the only thing we can say is that he is not a Portuguese soldier," a ministry spokeswoman told Reuters.

One image circulating online showed a bloodied man in combat fatigues sitting in a chair surrounded by soldiers with a wound on his head.

Another showed him sitting shirtless in a chair with a tattoo on his chest.

An LNA commander, Abdulsalam al-Hassi, was seen standing behind him in a third picture.

In a second video the man is asked in English by an LNA fighter in the back of a pickup truck whether he was a soldier. 'No, I am a civilian,' he says.

It was not immediately clear how the pilot came to be in Libya and who he was flying for when he was shot down.

One LNA spokesman told Turkey's Anadolu news agency that the pilot was a mercenary flying for the Government of National Accord, the UN-recognised force which is fighting the LNA.

But another spokesman told Saudi Arabia's Al Arabiya that the pilot was working for the EU's Operation Sofia, tackling people smuggling in the Mediterranean.

The spokesman said the jet had been shot down 'by mistake' and promised to 'deliver the pilot to his country immediately after the treatment of his wounds.'

Portugal's National Defence and Foreign Affairs ministry said it was aware of the case and investigating, but gave no more information.

The GNA had not given a statement at the time of publication, nor had EUNAVFOR MED, which orchestrates EU operations in the Mediterranean.

Portuguese paper Diario de Noticias quoted a spokesman for the General Staff of the Armed Forces saying that it was 'impossible' the pilot was from the EU.

'At this time there are no Air Force maritime surveillance aircraft on a mission in the Mediterranean,' commander Coleho Dias said.

If the pilot does turn out to be a mercenary, it would not be the first time a Portuguese pilot has been killed fighting for the GNA.

In June 2016, a Portuguese mercenary flying the air force's only Mirage jet crashed near the city of Sirte after suffering mechanical problems.

The man ejected, but died of his injuries.

Khalifa Haftar leads the Libyan National Army, formed of members of the country's former army and air force which back a government in the eastern city of Damascus.

In April, Haftar launched an offensive on Tripoli in an attempt to take control of the whole of the country, which has been riven with sectarian violence since Muammar Gaddafi was killed in 2011.

The almost five-week-old battle on the southern outskirts of Tripoli has killed at least 432 people, wounded 2,069 and displaced some 55,000 others, according to the UN.

After initial advances for the LNA, its rivals have launched a counter-offensive, leading to a stalemate on the ground.

The two sides often accuse each of resorting to the use of foreign mercenaries and outside military assistance.

Libya has been mired in chaos since the ouster and killing of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011, with Haftar supporting a rival administration in the east of the country.</s>According to reports, the plane was shot down in the area of Al-Hir, south of Tripoli. The LNA's forces have previously destroyed GNA aircraft, as well as planes belonging to group allied to it.

On 4 April, the Libyan National Army's (LNA) launched an offensive on Tripoli, which is controlled by the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). Two days later the GNA announced a counteroffensive dubbed "Volcano of Rage".

More than 430 people have been killed and more than 2,000 have been injured since the beginning of the offensive on Tripoli, according to the World Health Organisation.</s>The pilot of a fighter jet shot down south of Tripoli by the Libyan National Army is allegedly a Portuguese fighting in Libya as a "mercenary," Haftar's forces claim, as photos of the captured pilot covered in blood emerge online.Photos posted on social media show a bloodied man in military-style clothessurrounded by forces said to be loyal to Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar of the Libyan National Army (LNA).Citing Haftar's forces that sent her the photos, the Independent's Middle East correspondent Bel Trew said the man was a "foreign national" from Portugal. While Trew chose to crop out the man's face, plenty of uncensored photos have emerged elsewhere from the same scene.The pilot was allegedly captured after his jet was shot down over the Wadi al-Hira area, located south of the Libyan capital of Tripoli. Earlier, there were conflicting reports about his nationality, with some media outlets claiming he was an Italian. The LNA Military Information Division has since claimed he was a "Portuguese mercenary."Footage also surfaced on social media showing the pilot giving his alleged name and nationality during questioning.Portuguese MPs in the European Parliament have already reacted to the reports. Ana Maria Gomes, an MEP from the Socialist Party, retweeted some of the photos while askingReports say the captured pilot was flyingLibyan forces had 38 of the jets since the late 1970s, and France agreed to modernize the remaining fleet in 2012 after</s>BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Forces loyal to eastern commander Khalifa Haftar shot down a Tripoli government warplane purportedly flown by a foreign mercenary south of the Libyan capital on Tuesday, the Libyan National Army (LNA) said.

The LNA media unit released photographs of what it said was the pilot receiving medical treatment while seated on a chair. One showed an LNA commander, Abdulsalam al-Hassi, standing behind him.

Video posted on social media, which an LNA source said was authentic, showed the pilot, looking groggy and wearing a blood-soaked T-shirt and khaki jacket, being questioned in English.

Asked his name, he said what sounded to be Jimmy Rees but his answer was not clear. He gave his age as 29 and said he was “from Portugal”.

Asked what he was doing in Libya, he said: “I was requested to destroy roads and bridges”. Asked who sent him, he said it was a civilian contract with someone called Hadi but he did not know his full name.

In Lisbon, the Portuguese Defense Ministry and they could not confirm the pilot’s nationality.

“For now the only thing we can say is that he is not a Portuguese soldier,” a ministry spokeswoman told Reuters.

Reuters correspondents in Lisbon said the man did not sound Portuguese.

A spokesman for forces aligned with the internationally recognized government which is based in Tripoli had no immediate comment on the incident.

Residents of Gharyan, about 80 km (50 miles) south of Tripoli, said that when the plane was heard overhead, anti-aircraft fire opened up. There was an explosion as it was hit.

“The jet was shot down in Al-Hira town (10 km from Gharyan) and I saw LNA troops capturing the pilot,” a Gharyan resident told Reuters.

The eastern-based LNA, led by Haftar and backed principally by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, began an offensive against Tripoli in early April but its advance has been blocked by forces loyal to Tripoli on the city’s southern outskirts.

The escalation is a setback for efforts by the United Nations and Western states to end the chaos and political division in Libya eight years after a NATO-backed uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The Libyan National Army shoots down a pro-GNA Mirage F1 fighter jet over Tripoli, capturing its pilot, claimed to be Portuguese, though the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs couldn't confirm his identity. Pictures released by the LNA's media office show the wounded pilot flanked by LNA officials.