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The Libyan air force attacked a ship near Sirte port, one official says

Libya says the ship was trying to offload mercenaries, weapons and ammunition

CNN  — 

A ship filled with “mercenaries, weapons and ammunition” was attacked by a Libyan air force plane Sunday morning, the chief of the air force told CNN.

Saqr al-Joroushi, the head of the Libyan air force for the internationally-recognized Tobruk-based government, said the attack took place off the coast of Sirte after Libya received information that the ship was allegedly bringing fuel for ISIS. The fuel was destined for electricity stations in Sirte, which ISIS controls, he claimed.

“The fighter jet warned off the unflagged ship, giving it time to reassess, opposite Sirte port, but the ship ignored the warning,” he said in a statement to Libya’s state news agency, LANA.

The ship was slightly damaged after being hit by one rocket but is still near Sirte port, he told CNN in a phone call.

It’s not known exactly where the ship or the fuel came from, according to al-Joroushi, other than “the north.”

CNN’s Jomana Karadsheh and Ruth Hetherington contributed to this report