The Libyan National Army (LNA) announced in the late hours of July 4 that its Air Defense Force had shot down a warplane that was supporting forces loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) southeast of the countries’ capital, Tripoli.
“The air-defenses have shot down an L-39 [warplane] killing its pilot after it took off from the Air Academy in Misrata to bomb the civilians in Tarhunah,” Ahmed al-Mismari, a spokesman for the Libyan National Army (LNA), said in a short press release.
Libyan sources released several photos showing the wreckage of the downed L-39, confirming the LNA’s claims.
صور حصرية لحطام الطائرة الحربية
التابعة للحشد المليشياوي التي اسقطتها المضادات الارضية بالقوات المسلحة في وشتاتة بالقرب من ترهونة .. قبل قليل .. pic.twitter.com/h1B8EGE9Uc— غصة الخوارج (@LiBya_73) July 4, 2019
#Libya– photos from wreckage of #GNA MiG-23 that was reportedly shot down by #LNA ground fire over #Tarhunah earlier today pic.twitter.com/leu4S81xeg
— Oded Berkowitz (@Oded121351) July 4, 2019
The LNA’s Air Defense Force operates at least one Soviet-made 2K12 Kub [SA-6] medium-range air-defense system. The UAE also deployed one Pantsir-S1 short-range air-defense system in the central part of Libya last month.
A day earlier, GNA warplanes killed two civilians and injured four others in area of Sidi Sayih in the outskirt of Tripoli. This incident may have encouraged the LNA to stationed its air-defense systems closer to the capital.
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