U.S. F-15 jet crashes in Libya

Operation Odyssey Dawn has had its first near-miss for U.S. forces yesterday, as an American jet crashed in Libya, reportedly after suffering a technical malfunction.

The F-15 Strike Eagle crashed 25 miles from the Libyan rebel stronghold of Beghazi. The two-man crew became separated after ejecting, but U.S. officials said that both have been recovered with minor injuries. The pilot was reportedly found by a Marine Corps. rescue mission, while the weapons systems officer was recovered by Libyan rebel forces after landing in a field of sheep.

British Daily Telegraph reporter Rob Crilly was the first to identify the downed jet.

 Elsewhere in the Libyan conflict, rumors continue to swirl that dictator Moammar Gaddafi’s son Khamis has been killed in a kamikazi attack, though the Libyan government has denied this. In the West, the U.S. and U.K. governments are reportedly at odds over whether to target Gaddafi himself. (AP, via Gawker)