Official: Figther jet crashes in eastern Libyan city, killing pilot and 4 others

CAIRO – A Libyan security official says a military jet has crashed in the country's eastern city of Tobruk, killing its pilot and four other people.

Libyan official said the plane crashed because of a technical problem. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The crash came amid fierce clashes in Libya's eastern city of Benghazi between Islamist militiamen and rival forces loyal to General Khalifa Hifter.

A video, posted by a Libyan civilian who said he fights against Hifter, showed what he said was the jet crash and explosion. The video, which was consistent with independent AP reporting and was checked against known locations and events, shows black plume of smoke rising above the city of Tobruk.

The poster, a Facebook account holder called "One Zero," refused to reveal his identity. The video was shot by one of "One Zero's" friends in Tobruk.