TRIPOLI, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Five of Libya's eastern army soldiers were killed and four others were injured by extremist militants in Libya's eastern city of Darna, local media reported.
The soldiers were killed when militants attacked three army check points in southern Darna, the army's news agency reported.
A warplane of the army was shot down by terrorists in Darna on Saturday, the agency said, killing the pilot and a soldier, an injuring another.
The eastern city of Darna has been a haven of militants since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011. The army, led by General Khalifa Haftar, has been in a violent war against militant groups in eastern Libya for more than three years.
Forces of Haftar, who is allied with the eastern-based authorities, recently took over the city of Benghazi, defeating militant groups in the city.
