A Libyan fighter jet engaged in paramilitary attacks on Extremists in the restive eastern city of Benghazi crashed and exploded Tuesday after its pilot ejected safely, a military source and a witness said.

A Libyan fighter jet engaged in paramilitary attacks on Extremists in the restive eastern city of Benghazi crashed and exploded Tuesday after its pilot ejected safely, a military source and a witness said.

It was not immediately clear if the plane was shot down or suffered a malfunction, added General Sagr al-Jerouchi, chief of air operations for dissident general Khalifa Haftar.

A witness, who said he saw a parachute open before the crash, added that the warplane had just attacked Extremist positions.

Combat erupted Saturday when Extremists attacked the headquarters of a special forces unit near the city centre. One of the few regular army units located in Benghazi, it backs an anti-Extremist campaign launched by Haftar in May but has not placed itself under his command.

Since May, clashes have taken place in Benghazi on an almost daily basis.