08.04.2011, 12:20 5477

More Libyan rebels killed in NATO air strikes

Libyan rebels said five of their fighters were killed when NATO planes mistakenly bombed a rebel tank column near the contested port of Brega in eastern Libya, Kazakhstan Today reports.

Almaty. April 8. Kazakhstan Today - Libyan rebels said five of their fighters were killed when NATO planes mistakenly bombed a rebel tank column near the contested port of Brega in eastern Libya, Kazakhstan Today reports.

An apparent NATO airstrike slammed into a rebel combat convoy Thursday, killing at least five fighters and sharply boosting anger among anti-government forces after the second bungled mission in a week blamed on the military alliance, The Associated Press reported.

The attack - outside the strategic oil port of Brega - brought fresh questions about coordination between NATO and the patchwork of rebel militias in a conflict described by a senior U.S. commander as a stalemate that could eventually require the Pentagon to reassert more power, and possibly even send in ground forces.

Tensions between the rebels and NATO were flaring even before the latest accident, with the fighters criticizing the alliance for doing too little to help them. A rebel commander described the attack as a likely NATO accident, but said it would be a "bigger mistake" if it was waged by Moammar Gadhafi's pilots and exposed holes in NATO's efforts to ground Libyan warplanes.

In a sign of the hair-trigger tensions along the front, thousands of civilians and fighters raced out of the rebel-held city of Ajdabiya in eastern Libya after reports that Gadhafi's forces gained ground in the chaos after the bombing. Some militiamen shouted insults against NATO as they retreated.

In Brussels, NATO did not directly acknowledge responsibility for a blundered airstrike on the rebels, but noted that the area where the attack occurred was "unclear and fluid with mechanized weapons traveling in all directions."

"What remains clear is that NATO will continue to uphold the U.N. mandate and strike forces that can potentially cause harm to the civilian population of Libya," the alliance said in a statement.

And from above, both sides may appear very similar. Rebels used seized tanks and vehicles from the Libyan military. The pro-Gadhafi forces, meanwhile, are increasingly mixing into civilian areas and adopting the guerrilla-style appearance of their foes.

A NATO official said there is growing frustration with the rebels' perception that NATO is acting as their proxy air force. The U.N. mandate calls only for international air power to enforce a no-fly zone and prevent attacks on civilians - although Gadhafi's ground forces remain a primary target.

Last week, NATO took control over the international airstrikes that began March 19 as a U.S.-led mission. The airstrikes thwarted Gadhafi's efforts to crush the rebellion he has ruled for more than four decades, but the rebels remain outnumbered and outgunned and have had difficulty in making headway into government-held territory.

The U.S. general who led the Libyan mission before NATO's takeover said Washington still provides some strike aircraft to NATO including powerful side-firing AC-130 gunship.

The airstrikes Thursday came as rebels forces pushed toward the outskirts of Brega, an eastern oil port that has traded handed several times since the revolt began in February.

A rebel commander, Ayman Abdul-Karim, said he saw airstrikes hit tanks and a rebel convoy, which included a passenger bus carrying fighters toward Brega. He said the tops of rebel vehicles were marked with yellow under advice by NATO to identify the opposition forces

The rebel commander Younes said the airstrike was apparently from NATO warplanes, but there was no immediate confirmation.

"If it was NATO, of course it was a mistake. And if it was from Gadhafi's forces, then it was a bigger mistake because we are under the umbrella of the NATO forces. They are supposed to protect us from Gadhafi's planes," he told journalists in the de facto rebel capital Benghazi.

An official at Ajdabiya Hospital, Dr. Mohamed Idris, said at least five people were killed and 22 injured, including some with serious burns. Idris said other casualties were left in the field in the chaos to flee the area.

Last Friday, a NATO airstrike killed 13 rebel fighters in eastern Libya. An opposition spokesman described it as an "unfortunate accident" in the shifting battles and pledged support for the international air campaign to weaken Gadhafi's military power.

But rebel discontent with NATO appears to be growing. Opposition commanders have complained in recent days that the airstrikes were coming too slowly and lacking the precision to give the rebels a clear edge.

Rebels also have turned to the oil fields under their control as a source of money for weapons and supplies. The Liberian-flagged tanker Equator, which can transport up to 1 million barrels of oil, left the eastern port of Tobruk en route to Singapore on Wednesday, oil and shipping officials said.

But sustained attacks on the main rebel-held oil fields have crippled production. Libya claimed British jets waged the bombings. NATO, however, dismissed the accusations and blamed Gadhafi's forces.

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