TRIPOLI, Libya — NATO bombarded the Libyan capital Tripoli with its biggest concentration of firepower to date, as Libya’s rebels expanded their diplomatic presence by accepting an offer to open an office in the US.
Jeffrey Feltman, the most senior US official to visit the rebels’ eastern Benghazi stronghold, said he delivered an invitation to the rebel Transitional National Council (TNC) to open a representative office in Washington, AFP reported.
“I delivered a formal invitation to the council for the opening of a representation in Washington,” Feltman, the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, said at a news conference during his three-day visit.
VIDEO: ‘HEAVIEST NIGHT YET’ OF AIRSTRIKES IN TRIPOLI
He added, “We are happy they accepted it.”
Tripoli was rocked overnight by a series of blasts, 18 in total, over a period of about 30 minutes near Moammar Khadafy’s Bab al Aziziya compound, the biggest concentration of NATO firepower so far in the operation.
Plumes of black smoke were seen rising above the city and pro-government supporters loudly beeped their car horns and fired guns, shouting their support for the leader.
NATO said in a statement that a number of the strikes hit a vehicle storage facility adjacent to Bab al Aziziya that has been used for supplying regime forces conducting attacks on civilians.
“Overnight a regime vehicle storage facility adjacent to the Bab al Aziziyah complex in Tripoli was struck by NATO aircraft using a number of precision guided weapons,” the NATO operation’s commander, Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, said. “This facility is known to have been active during the initial regime suppression of the population in February and has remained so ever since; resupplying the regime forces that have been conducting attacks against innocent civilians.”
A Libyan government spokesman said at least three people were killed and 150 injured. There was no independent confirmation of these figures.
The bombardment came as the UK moved to deploy 12 Apache attack helicopters to Libya, sources told Sky News. Although the fast jets currently being used in bombing raids are hitting their targets accurately, the constantly changing front lines are reportedly causing difficulties.
In the besieged city of Misrata in the west and in Brega in the east, rebels were taking control of Khadafy’s equipment, making it more difficult for NATO to target ground troops. Using helicopters, which fly at heights of 50 to 100 yards, will make it easier to hit small targets in built-up areas.
French foreign minister Alain Juppe earlier confirmed that France was also sending helicopters, which he said would fall within UN Security Council resolution 1973 authorizing the protection of civilians.
Britain’s foreign secretary William Hague, after a meeting with US counterpart Hillary Clinton, said Khadafy’s tactics were changing in recent weeks. “So sometimes, what we do in response, the assets we use in response, our own tactics, do also have to change,” he said.
For more on this story, please go to Sky News.