At least 10 rebels were killed by a coalition air strike on Friday, fighters at the scene said on Saturday, in an increasingly chaotic battle with Muammar Gaddafi's forces over the oil town of Brega.
The reason is unclear:
"Some of Gaddafi's forces sneaked in among the rebels and fired anti-aircraft guns in the air," said rebel fighter Mustafa Ali Omar. "After that the NATO forces came and bombed them."
Or:
"The rebels shot up in the air and the alliance came and bombed them. We are the ones who made the mistake," said one fighter who did not give his name.
The rebels do seem to understand that mistakes like this are the price of having air support that they cannot do without.
Although with rebels and loyalists locked in combat around the town, special forces on the ground would help reduce the chances for friendly fire. Remember, precision munitions are precise in where they are aimed--if the aim point is wrong, the bombs will go precisely to the wrong place.
