Two Libyan pilots defect, say ordered to bomb protesters
1:54pm EST --Reuters--

BY Christopher Scicluna, Diana Abdallah

VALLETTA - Two Libyan Air Force fighter pilots defected on Monday and flew their jets to Malta where they told authorities they had been ordered to bomb protesters, Maltese government officials said.

They said the two pilots, both colonels, took off from a base near Tripoli. One of them has requested political asylum.