A Royal Air Force Tornado aircraft made an emergency landing at Malta International Airport this afternoon.

The aircraft arrived at about 2.10 p.m. after reporting a technical emergency.

The plane, a fighter-bomber, is believed to have been engaged in operations over Libya.

This is the first time during the Libya crisis that an RAF aircraft has made an emergency diversion to Malta.

There have, however, been a number of emergency landings by French aircraft as well a other emergency landings by American and Danish aircraft.

RAF operations over Libya are flown from bases in Italy and Cyprus.

Informed sources said that more than 15,000 sorties by military aircraft have overflown Maltese-control airspace since the crisis in Libya started in February.

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