Two crew members of an F-15E fighter jet both ejected, suffering minor injuries after their warplane crash landed in a Libyan field near Benghazi.

One crew member was immediately picked up by a US military helicopter. The other is said to be “safe” after being rescued by Libyan rebels, and waiting to be picked up by the U.S. military

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Libya: US fighter jet crash lands in field near Benghazi

Libyan rebels shot down a warplane that was bombing their eastern stronghold Benghazi on Saturday, as the opposition accused Moammar Gadhafi’s government of defying calls for an immediate cease-fire.

Two views of Libyan pro-Gadhafi fighter jet shot down and crashing to the ground after apparently being struck by rebel gunfire.

The incident was followed by celebration in the streets with vehicles honking and rebels shooting into the air.

At least 17 people were killed in an explosion at an ammunition storage facility at a military base in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi in northeastern Libya on Friday, hospital officials said

The death toll in a massive ammunition depot explosion rose to 27 near Benghazi, Libya Saturday. Rebels suffered a major setback in Benghazi after a massive arms and ammunition depot outside Benghazi was destroyed in a massive explosion. Loyalist are suspect of causing the explosion to limit ammunition available to rebels.

The crater was three times the size of a football field. Shell cases the size of adult legs were stacked near the edge of the ammunition depot.

Forces loyal to Colonel Moammar Gaddafi broke through rebel lines today in dawn attacks on opposition-held cities.

Benghazi and Misrata is reported to have been bombed by the Gaddafi regime. The Gaddafi-Libyan Air Force is flying predominantly Russian-made MIGs and helicopter gunships.

The Libyan Navy is also reported by DEBKAfile to have bombarded the city of Benghazi.

The US deployed naval and air force units near Libya, as United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron ordered contingency plans for Britain to assist in enforcing a no-fly zone. The Libyan Navy is a small navy with a few missile frigates, corvettes and patrol boats to defend the coastline, but with a very limited self-defence capability

DEBKAfile is reporting that military steps are being considered to break a standoff between Libya and rebels. The conflict involves the rebel capture of the cities of Misrata and Zawiya, which are in turn surrounded by Gaddafi-loyal Libyan troops.

The USS Enterprise from the Red Sea and the amphibious USS Kearsarge, which has a fleet of helicopters and about 1,800 Marines aboard with units capable of covert action behind enemy lines, are deployed near Libya.

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Libyan fighter jets and helicopters reportedly fired on protesters in the capital Tripoli, with indiscriminate bombing runs leaving ‘many, many dead’.

Two Libyan Mirage air force jets landed in Malta on Monday after the pilots were ordered to bomb protesters in Benghazi, where teens are reported to be patrolling the streets with assault rifles. The pilots asked for political asylum, apparently refusing to participate in a government assault on anti-government protesters in Libya.

There is also a report of two civilian helicopters that fled to Malta. Malta is about 400 miles (660 kilometers) from Benghazi.

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