The FOG of KINETIC MILITARY OPERATIONS … NATO Strike Hit Kills 13 Rebel Libyan Fighters … Friendly Fire

The FOG of  KINETIC MILITARY OPERATIONS …  Friendly Fire airstrike.

Not only does it appear that the US does not know who the rebels are in Libya, it would appear that NATO cannot tell the difference between rebel and pro-Gaddafi fighters. A NATO airstrike has killed 13 Libyan rebel fighters and wounded several others. What else would one expect when you wage a war from only the air to aid rebel forces. As reported by the NY Times,  Qaddafi forces are increasingly plunging into combat in equipment similar to what the rebels are using, mainly pickup trucks mounted with machine guns or rockets.

Notions of a cease-fire in Libya quickly faded Saturday as a battle raged for control of the oil town of al-Brega, where rebel fighters claimed they had lost fighters and vehicles to NATO airstrikes.

Airstrikes hit several rebel vehicles and killed at least 13 rebel fighters, spokesmen for the Libyan opposition said Saturday. Seven others were wounded.

NATO was investigating the incident, a spokeswoman said Saturday.

As reported by the BBC, the rebels had fired upon the NATO plane. According to reports the plane attacked after after rebels reportedly fired an anti-aircraft gun. More from OTB.

At least 13 people are reported to have been killed when a coalition plane flying over Libya fired on a rebel convoy between Brega and Ajdabiya on Friday, the rebels say.

Doctors at a hospital in Ajdabiya told the BBC that three medical students were among the dead.

Nato said it was looking into the incident but that it was very difficult to verify details about what happened.

The attack came after rebels reportedly fired an anti-aircraft gun.

Meanwhile, Libya’s government rejected a rebel ceasefire offer. Spokesman Moussa Ibrahim dismissed the idea as “mad”.

UPDATE I: Sky News, Rebels Blame Themselves For Deadly Air Raid … Appears to have been a deadly accident.

Libyan rebels have blamed themselves for the deaths of their comrades who were killed in a coalition air strike near Brega.

They said one of the opposition fighters fired into the air and the pilot “must have thought” the group was part of Colonel Gaddafi’s forces.