Nato attack 'kills civilians' in Libya

Libyan state media today claimed dozens of civilians had been killed in a Nato strike on a village about 150km east of Tripoli…

Libyan state media today claimed dozens of civilians had been killed in a Nato strike on a village about 150km east of Tripoli.

Libyan state television showed the charred bodies of at least three young children who, it said, were killed by a Nato attack last night on the village of Majar. It also showed wounded women and children being treated in a hospital.

The television station reported that a total of 85 people had been killed in Majar, but it did not say how many of these were civilians. The official Jana news agency said "20 families" had been killed, without giving a more precise figure.

The Libyan government announced three days of mourning for the victims, according to state television.

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The village of Najar is near Zlitan, on Libya's Mediterranean coast, where Nato forces have been mounting attacks on government troops.

An alliance official said the alliance hit a target in Zlitan last night, but he could not say if it was in the same location where Libyan state media reported casualties.

Elsewhere, Libyan rebels who seized the town of Bir al-Ghanam, 80km south of Tripoli, said they would push on towards the capital, Col Gadafy's stronghold, but expected a tough fight.

The small desert settlement is now the closest rebel position to Tripoli and its capture at the weekend is likely to inject some new momentum into a six-month campaign to oust the Libyan leader that has been faltering over the past few weeks.

Libyan rebels yesterday dissolved their executive committee, or cabinet, after what they described as "administrative errors" in the handling of the shooting of rebel military chief Abdel Fattah Younes.

The 14-member committee, including officials responsible for defence and interior affairs, was sacked and a new one will be nominated by prime minister Mahmoud Jibril, said National Transitional Council (NTC) media director Shamsiddin Abdulmolah.

Mr Younes was killed on July 28th after being taken into custody by his own side for questioning, throwing into question NTC unity just as it was winning broader international recognition.

"They've all been dismissed," Mr Abdulmolah said. "There were administrative errors that they were held responsible for."

Opposition leaders linked the killing of Mr Younes, a former interior minister under Muammar Gadafy who defected early in the revolt, to elements loyal to the Libyan leader.

Reuters