Updated 2 hours 5 minutes ago
NATO have lost an unmanned drone, which was performing surveillance over Libya. (northropgrumman.com)
NATO has lost a helicopter drone involved in the Libyan campaign.
Wing Commander Mike Bracken says NATO's command centre in Naples lost contact with the unmanned aircraft early in the morning.
His statement came as Libyan state television showed images of what it claimed was the wreckage of a NATO Apache attack helicopter that had been shot down.
But Commander Bracken says no attack helicopters had been lost.
He says the drone helicopter was performing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance over Libya.
Meanwhile, NATO has defended the credibility of its air war in Libya amid growing signs of strains within the alliance.
NATO insisted it had pained to avoid civilian casualties in its three-month campaign in Libya, after admitting a bomb misfired in Tripoli at the weekend, killing nine people according to Moamar Gaddafi's regime.
"I would suggest that our reputation and credibility is unquestionable," Commander Bracken said.
"What is questionable is the Gaddafi regime's use of human shields, [and] firing missiles from mosques."
The blunder - an embarrassment for a mission that prides itself on protecting Libya's people from the regime - came on the heels of a friendly fire incident last week in which a column of rebel vehicles was hit by NATO warplanes.
- AFP/BBC
Tags: defence-and-national-security, defence-forces, security-alliances, unrest-conflict-and-war, libya, united-states
First posted 2 hours 42 minutes ago
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