A Libyan warplane that broke the UN no-fly zone on Thursday was grounded when it was destroyed by a French fighter jet, the French Defense Ministry said.
Earlier on Thursday international media sources reported that the aircraft was destroyed in the air after it became the first Libyan aircraft to breach the no-fly zone, imposed last week to protect civilians from Muammar Gaddafi's attacks on rebel-held towns.
However, the French Foreign Ministry said in a report the plane was destroyed after it landed at a military airbase near the coastal city of Misrata. The class of the destroyed aircraft was not specified.
The operation, codenamed Odyssey Dawn, is being conducted jointly by 13 states, including the United States, Britain and France. Libyan state television has reported that at least 60 civilians have been killed and over 150 wounded by the attacks.
NATO is also expected to launch an operation soon to enforce an arms embargo against Libya. On Wednesday, NATO said Turkey offered to supply five warships and a submarine to prevent arms reaching Libya.
MOSCOW, March 24 (RIA Novosti)
