Nato admits Tripoli target error

Nato has admitted “a weapons systems failure” may have led to civilian casualties in Sunday morning’s air strike in the Libyan capital, Tripoli.

In a statement, the alliance said the intended target of the strike was a military missile site, but “it appears that one weapon” did not hit it.

The Libyan government earlier said Nato bombed a residential area, killing several civilians.

Nato is enforcing a UN resolution to defend Libyans from pro-Gaddafi forces.

“Nato regrets the loss of innocent civilian lives and takes great care in conducting strikes against a regime determined to use violence against its own citizens,” said Lt Gen Charles Bouchard, commander of operation Unified Protector.

“Although we are still determining the specifics of this event, indications are that a weapons system failure may have caused this incident,” he added.

The statement said that more than 11,500 sorties had already been conducted and “every mission is planned and executed with tremendous care to avoid civilian casualties”.

Sunday’s attack, in one of Tripoli’s poorer neighbourhoods, happened shortly after midnight, Libyan officials say.

The BBC’s Jeremy Bowen, who was taken to the site by government officials, saw two bodies being removed from the rubble.

Scores of men were working alongside the emergency services, pulling at sections of rubble and looking for bodies.

Locals said an entire family had been killed, though our correspondent was unable to immediately verify this claim.