Press TV.

The US military says an American warplane has crashed in Libya as Western coalition forces attack the north African country for the third consecutive night.

A spokesman for the US military Africa Command said on Tuesday that the F-15E Strike Eagle jet crashed in a field near the eastern city of Benghazi overnight.

Karin Burzynski said the crash was likely caused by mechanical failure and not hostile fire.

One crew member has been recovered and an operation is currently under way
to recover the other one, said Ken Fidler, another spokesman for Africa Command.

The developments come as US-led coalition forces have targeted embattled Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi’s air and ground forces.

Meanwhile, the cities of Ajdabiyah and Misratah are still under siege by Gaddafi loyalists, and civilians are still being killed.

Dozens of civilians have also been killed in Libya since the US, Britain, France and some other Western countries launched their attacks on the North African country.

It is the biggest Western military intervention in the Arab world since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Experts say the main motive behind the Western allies’ attack is the vast oil reserves in the North African country.