NATO hits eight Libyan warships

A British Typhoon jet fighter operating in Libya

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/180801.html

NATO says its fighter jets have destroyed eight Libyan warships in different locations as the military alliance continues waging aerial attacks on the North African country.

"Overnight, NATO aircraft hit pro-Gaddafi warships, striking eight vessels," the alliance announced in a Friday statement.

"NATO and coalition air assets continued their precision airstrikes against pro-Gaddafi regime forces overnight with a coordinated strike against pro-Gaddafi forces in the ports of Tripoli, Al Khums and Sirte," the statement said.

The NATO statement further reiterated that the latest attacks on Libyan warships were planned earlier as Gaddafi forces were observed mining the ports and expanding the employment of their maritime forces to disrupt the flow of humanitarian aid to civilians and 'jeopardizing' NATO operations.

Rear Admiral Russell Harding, Deputy Commander of Libya operation, emphasized that all the Libyan vessels attacked Friday night “were naval warships with no civilian utility.”

NATO, in accordance with a UN mandate, is tasked with protecting the lives of civilians by enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya.

However, numerous civilians have been killed and injured during attacks by the military alliance although it claims that all the targets are “military in nature.”

An attack on Muammar Gaddafi's compound in Tripoli on March 30, led to the death of his son, Saif al-Arab, and three of the longtime ruler's grandchildren, spawning severe criticism that the military alliance is exceeding provisions of the UN resolution by attacking civilian targets.