Another NATO airstrike has killed rebels

The incident followed the death of 13 rebels last weekend when a NATO warplane mistakenly opened fire on the fighters, according to the rebels' military command. The latest episode was met with frustration among the opposition's leaders, who accused the West of not moving aggressively to cease Libyan leader Moammar Kadafi's forces as they besiege cities & advance on the rebels' battle positions.

Reporting from Benghazi & Tripoli, Libya.
Libyan rebels were killed in an airstrike Thursday that the opposition's top general blamed on NATO.

The strikes occurred at0:30 a.m. after the rebels had moved0 tanks to the front in their battle to retake the refinery city of Port Brega, a key coastal installation that the fighters lost a week ago.

"People are asking us who they think bombed our tanks. They would assume it was the NATO by mistake, [by] friendly fire," said Gen. Abdul Fatah Younis.

At least people were killed, including medics, and0 people were injured, Younis said. They described it as a precision airstrike that only NATO could have carried out. tanks were badly damaged, though Younis said the rebels had 400 tanks in their possession.

The general said they believed that NATO had offered an apology, though they had not seen the actual statement. They said NATO & the rebels were in constant contact.

"We are not questioning the purpose of NATO, because they ought to be here to help us & the civilians, but they need to get some answers regarding what happened today," Younis said.

After the strikes, Kadafi's forces advanced toward the city of Ajdabiya, but rebels drove them back to Port Brega, Younis said. They demanded to know why NATO had not targeted Kadafi's fighters before they retreated, & they said they wanted an explanation for the day's events.

NATO took command of the air operation from the U.S. last week after American, British & Spanish airstrikes halted Kadafi's troops from advancing on Benghazi, the opposition's de facto capital.

NATO said it was looking in to the incident. It said fighting in the area had been fierce for several days & that "the situation is not clear & liquid, with mechanized weapons travelling in all directions."

Meanwhile, the GlobalPost news net site said journalists, including Americans, a Spanish national & a South African, went missing Tuesday, probably abducted by Kadafi's forces as they approached the frontline in Port Brega. of the missing, American James Foley, freelanced for GlobalPost.

In Tripoli, the capital, Libyan officials said NATO intensified its airstrikes against Libyan military targets late Wednesday & Thursday.

"The airstrikes were heavy today, attacking military academies around Tripoli where students reside & work," they told reporters.

Explosions could be heard in central Tripoli throughout the day, though it was impossible to discern the exact targets. Government spokesman Musa Ibrahim described "a wave of heavy bombardment" near roads east of the city. They said targets included military training facilities.

Musa accused NATO of launching daytime assaults in an work to frighten ordinary people whose spouses are at work & children at school. "They took place at daytime to intensify & maximize the terror element," they told reporters. "People are all awake & you can watch the damage."

NATO officials rejected allegations by Libyan authorities that British warplanes had targeted the country's Sarir oil field, its largest, on Wednesday.

A flurry of diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis have failed to gain traction. A recent trip by Libyan Foreign Minister Abdelati Obeidi to speak to diplomats in Greece, Turkey & Malta failed to sway nations to take up Libya's cause.

Canadian Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard, commander of the NATO operation, accused Kadafi's forces of attacking the field to stifle the flow of oil to the rebel-controlled Tobruk terminal. Rebels are relying on oil exports to help finance their nascent transitional government.

The prime minister of Turkey, which has deep economic & historical ties to Libya, weighed in Thursday along together along along with his most definitive remarks yet on the conflict. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Kadafi must withdraw his forces from towns under siege, generate safe zones to permit for immediate delivery of humanitarian aid & launch political reforms.