REBEL FIGHTERS IN Libya have said that NATO air strikes hit their forces on the front lines and touched off a retreat from the outskirts of the oil port of Brega.
Doctors in the rebel-held town of Ajdabiya in eastern Libya have told the BBC that 13 rebel fighters have been killed.
Several militiamen fleeing back toward Ajdabiya told AP they saw several of their tanks destroyed by apparent NATO bombing runs.
Dozens of vehicles were seen racing from the front lines Thursday, including ambulances and rebel vehicles outfitted with weapons.
The retreat comes after rebel leaders complained that NATO air strikes were carried out too slowly to disrupt forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.
Rebels have been locked in battle with government forces for weeks now in an attempt over throw the 41-year rule of Gaddafi.
Western forces have imposed a no-fly zone over the country in an attempt to bolster opposition forces.
A NATO official in Brussels says the alliance will look into the rebel claims but he had no immediate information.
- additional reporting from AP
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say