TUNIS (Reuters) - A Libyan warplane landed on Monday on a road in the southern Tunisian town of Beni Khadash, witnesses and local media said.

The state news agency TAP said the plane had made an emergency landing, and that the pilot, the sole occupant, had been arrested by the military units that surrounded the area.

Witnesses said the plane had landed on a road and been surrounded by civilian vehicles stopping to watch.

The Ministry of Defence was not immediately available for comment. </s> TUNIS, July 22 (Reuters) - A Libyan warplane made an emergency landing on a road in the southern Tunisian town of Beni Khadash on Monday and its pilot has been detained, according to Tunisia's state news agency TAP.

The Tunisian Ministry of Defence said the pilot informed the authorities that he was forced to make the landing due to damage to his plane.

Tunisia's air force prepared to intercept the L-39 warplane but it landed before it could be reached, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA), which is allied to a rival administration in eastern Libya and which mounted an offensive on Tripoli in early April, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Witnesses said the plane had landed on a road and been surrounded by civilian vehicles stopping to watch. </s> TUNIS — A Libyan warplane made an emergency landing on a road in the southern Tunisian town of Beni Khadash on Monday and its pilot has been detained, according to Tunisia’s state news agency TAP.

The Tunisian Ministry of Defence said the pilot informed the authorities that he was forced to make the landing due to damage to his plane.

Tunisia’s air force prepared to intercept the L-39 warplane but it landed before it could be reached, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

Forces allied to the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) denied the warplane was one of theirs.

Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA), which is allied to a rival administration in eastern Libya and which mounted an offensive on Tripoli in early April, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Witnesses said the plane had landed on a road and been surrounded by civilian vehicles stopping to watch. (Reporting By Tarek Amara;additional reporting by Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky) </s> A warplane belonging to eastern Libyan forces fighting the internationally recognized Tripoli government is seen after an emergency landing on a road in the southern Tunisian town of Beni Khadash, July 22, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

TUNIS (Reuters) - A warplane belonging to eastern Libyan forces fighting the internationally recognised Tripoli government made an emergency landing in Tunisia on Monday and the pilot was detained, the self-declared eastern foreign ministry said.

Negotiations with Tunisian authorities to secure the release of the pilot were under way, the ministry said in a statement.

The plane landed on a road in the southern Tunisian town of Beni Khadash, Tunisia’s state news agency TAP said. Tunisia’s defence ministry said the pilot informed the authorities that he was forced to make the landing after his plane was damaged.

Tunisia’s air force scrambled jets to intercept the L-39 but it landed first, a defence ministry statement said.

Witnesses said the plane touched down on a road and was surrounded by civilian vehicles that stopped to watch.

Libya has been splintered by violent turmoil since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi. The eastern Libyan National Army under Khalifa Haftar is trying to take Tripoli from forces allied to the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), but the LNA offensive has bogged down on the capital’s outskirts. </s> TUNIS — A warplane belonging to eastern Libyan forces fighting the internationally recognized Tripoli government made an emergency landing in Tunisia on Monday and the pilot was detained, the self-declared eastern foreign ministry said.

Negotiations with Tunisian authorities to secure the release of the pilot were under way, the ministry said in a statement.

The plane landed on a road in the southern Tunisian town of Beni Khadash, Tunisia’s state news agency TAP said. Tunisia’s defense ministry said the pilot informed the authorities that he was forced to make the landing after his plane was damaged.

Tunisia’s air force scrambled jets to intercept the L-39 but it landed first, a defense ministry statement said.

Witnesses said the plane touched down on a road and was surrounded by civilian vehicles that stopped to watch.

Libya has been splintered by violent turmoil since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi. The eastern Libyan National Army under Khalifa Haftar is trying to take Tripoli from forces allied to the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), but the LNA offensive has bogged down on the capital’s outskirts. (Reporting By Tarek Amara;additional reporting by Ahmed Elumami in Tripoli and Ayman al-Warfalli in Benghazi Editing by Mark Heinrich) </s> TUNIS, July 22 (Reuters) - A warplane belonging to eastern Libyan forces fighting the internationally recognised Tripoli government made an emergency landing in Tunisia on Monday and the pilot was detained, the self-declared eastern foreign ministry said.

Negotiations with Tunisian authorities to secure the release of the pilot were under way, the ministry said in a statement.

The plane landed on a road in the southern Tunisian town of Beni Khadash, Tunisia's state news agency TAP said.Tunisia's defence ministry said the pilot informed the authorities that he was forced to make the landing after his plane was damaged.

Witnesses said the plane touched down on a road and was surrounded by civilian vehicles that stopped to watch.

Libya has been splintered by violent turmoil since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi. The eastern Libyan National Army under Khalifa Haftar is trying to take Tripoli from forces allied to the U.N.-backed Government of National Accord (GNA), but the LNA offensive has bogged down on the capital's outskirts. </s> A warplane belonging to the forces of Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar made an emergency landing in neighboring Tunisia on Monday, an allied administration based in eastern Libya said.

The aircraft was on a "reconnaissance and patrol mission and suffered a technical problem resulting in an emergency landing" in southern Tunisia, a statement said.

Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army, which backs the eastern administration, launched an offensive in April to try to seize Tripoli from the U.N.-recognized Government of National Accord.

Tunisia's defense ministry said the jet landed at around 0630 GMT on a road near Medenine city, which lies some 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Libya border.

Tunisia mobilized a fighter jet "to intercept and identify the aircraft, but it had to make an emergency landing," said the ministry, adding that one colonel was on board.

According to defense specialist Arnaud Delalande, the paintwork shown in bystanders' photos indicated it was "most probably a pro-Haftar plane".

While some of his sources said it carried out an emergency landing due to a navigation problem, others suggested the "Libyan pilot could have defected to refuse to bomb citizens" as in previous military campaigns.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in the battle for Tripoli, according to the World Health Organization, while more than 100,000 people have been displaced by the violence. </s> A Libyan warplane of military commander Khalifa Haftar’s forces made an emergency landing in neighbouring Tunisia on Monday, authorities in Libya said.

The aircraft was on a “reconnaissance and patrol mission and suffered a technical problem resulting in an emergency landing” in southern Tunisia, said a statement from an administration based in eastern Libya.

Haftar’s self-styled Libyan National Army, which backs the eastern administration, launched an offensive in April to try to seize Tripoli from the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).

Tunisia’s defence ministry said the jet landed early Monday on a road near Medenine city, which lies some 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the Libyan border.

The ministry mobilised a fighter jet “to intercept and identify the aircraft, but it had to make an emergency landing”, said the ministry, adding that one colonel was on board.

Onlookers including children gathered near the jet, while the pilot spoke to Tunisian authorities.

The jet was transporting two bombs, said an AFP photographer at the scene where the warplane had been cordoned off at the roadside.

Libya’s internationally-recognised GNA in Tripoli also said the jet belonged to pro-Haftar forces.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in the battle for Tripoli, according to the World Health Organization, while more than 100,000 people have been displaced by the violence. </s> Tunis , Tunisia, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 23rd Jul, 2019 ) :The Tunisian army has defused bombs carried by a Libyan warplane that made an emergency landing in Tunisia the day before, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.

The aircraft belonged to the forces of commander Khalifa Haftar, who controls the east of Libya and much of the country's south.

Haftar's self-styled Libyan National Army launched an offensive in April to try to seize Tripoli from the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).

The jet made an emergency landing after it "suffered a technical problem", according to a statement from a parallel administration based in eastern Libya, backed by Haftar.

An AFP photographer at the scene on Monday had said the plane was transporting two bombs.

The defence ministry said the jet has since been taken from its landing site near Medenine city, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the Libyan border, to a Tunisian storage facility.

The warplane's pilot, a colonel who was the sole person on board according to the ministry, is being questioned by Tunisian security forces.

The GNA foreign ministry said Monday on Facebook that a "liaison commission" had been set up by its embassy in Tunis to discuss the fate of the plane.

The rival administration in eastern Libya has meanwhile said it is in contact with Tunis to ensure the safe return of the aircraft and its pilot.

"The question of which entity this plane should be returned to will be at the centre of the question of restitution", said Haykel Ben Mahfoudh, an expert on international law.

"Tunisia, if it has maintained a neutral position toward the conflict in Libya, is particularly keen to respect the status of the GNA recognised by international institutions", he added.

More than 1,000 people have been killed since Haftar launched his offensive on Tripoli, according to the World Health Organization, while more than 100,000 people have been displaced by the violence.
Tunisia's Ministry of Defence says that a pilot is arrested after a damaged Libyan warplane, reported to be a L-39 Albatros, makes an emergency landing on a road near the southern town of Beni Khadash.