Take 5: Recent NATO strikes

NATO warplanes attacked a Tripoli neighbourhood and killed nine people,including two children.

June 19

On Sunday morning,NATO warplanes attacked a Tripoli neighbourhood and killed nine people,including two children. 18 people were injured. NATO confirmed that it was probably responsible and one of its airstrikes went astray. There may have been a weapons-system failure,which may have caused a number of civilian casualties,NATO said. The Libyan authorities said that the attack,which took place early morning,destroyed an apartment building,crushing residents beneath tonnes of debris,while they were sleeping.

MAY 27

On May 27,a NATO air strike killed 14 civilians in Afghanistans Helmland province. According to BBC,the air strike,aimed at insurgents,hit two civilian homes,killing 12 children and two women. Witnesses said an unknown number of bombs fell about 11 p.m. landing on two family compounds in the Salaam Bazaar area, The New York Times reported. Maj Gen John Toolan,commander of NATO,said that unfortunately,the compound the insurgents purposefully occupied was later discovered to house innocent civilians.

MAY 24

Story continues below this ad

NATO aircraft launched more than a dozen strikes in Tripoli on May 24. This attack was seen as the heaviest attack against Tripoli since the NATO mission began in March. The attack killed three people and injured about 150. The attack began at about 1 a.m and lasted for more than 20 minutes. Moussa Ibrahim,the Libyan government spokesman,claimed that the three dead,young men aged 22,25,and 27,and most of the injured were civilians from the surrounding civilian neighbourhood, The Telegraph reported.

April 30

On April 30,a NATO missile struck a house in Tripoli killing Saif-al-Arab Gaddafi,29,the youngest son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Reports stated that Saif-al-Arab Gaddafi was killed along with three of Muammar Gaddafis grandsons. Several of his friends and relatives were wounded.Gaddafi was also present in the house at the time of the strike,but was unharmed. NATO said it had hit a military target but denied targeting individuals. The one-storey house in Tripoli reportedly suffered heavy damage.

MARCH 25

A NATO airstrike on two vehicles believed to be carrying Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan accidentally wounded and killed an unspecified number of civilians on March 25,according to a statement made by the coalition forces. The helicopter airstrike followed intelligence reports,according to which a Taliban leader and his associates were in the vehicles,NATO said. After the strike,the bodies of civilians in the wreckage were found by the coalition troops. NATO did not release the number of dead and injured.