Guerrillas Reportedly Shoot Down Salvadoran Warplane, Killing Pilot

Leftist rebels shot down a Salvadoran fighter-bomber Friday in eastern El Salvador, killing the pilot, military sources and witnesses said.

However, the armed forces press office said the jet crashed because of mechanical failure.

A soldier at the army’s 6th Infantry Brigade in Usulutan city said the A-37 Dragonfly was downed near Santa Elena while it was providing air support to government soldiers battling guerrillas.

Air force sources confirmed that the plane was shot down and that the pilot, Lt. Eduardo Escobar Amaya, was killed. They said the other crew member bailed out and was hospitalized with undisclosed injuries.

A local resident who asked not to be identified said the plane was seen being shot down by a SAM-7 ground-to-air missile. However, the air force sources said the rebels used machine guns. They are known to have Soviet-made 12.7-millimeter machine guns, which they used last year to shoot down another fighter-bomber.

Both the soldier and the air force sources insisted on anonymity. Rebel officials had no immediate comment.

A communique by the armed forces press office confirmed the pilot’s death and crewman’s injury. However, it said the plane went down because of mechanical failure.