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| Libya: RAF jets join ground-attack force | Libya: RAF jets join ground-attack force |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| More British warplanes are moving from policing the no-fly zone in Libya to begin ground attacks in the country, the Ministry of Defence has said. | More British warplanes are moving from policing the no-fly zone in Libya to begin ground attacks in the country, the Ministry of Defence has said. |
| Four Typhoon jets will join 16 RAF ground-attack aircraft already under Nato command. | Four Typhoon jets will join 16 RAF ground-attack aircraft already under Nato command. |
| They are all based in southern Italy as part of an international coalition to enforce a no-fly zone against Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime. | They are all based in southern Italy as part of an international coalition to enforce a no-fly zone against Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime. |
| Meanwhile, RAF missiles hit 12 targets around rebel-held Misrata and Sirte. | Meanwhile, RAF missiles hit 12 targets around rebel-held Misrata and Sirte. |
| The targets were six armoured fighting vehicles and six battle tanks, the MoD said. | |
| In an update on the UK military action over Libya, the MoD also said that two Typhoon aircraft had flown from Gioia del Colle air base, southern Italy, to police the no-fly zone, while two RAF VC10 aircraft provided air-to-air refuelling. | |
| Misrata 'a priority' | |
| After criticism from rebels that Nato was taking too long to respond to calls for air strikes to protect Misrata, Nato vowed to do all it could to protect civilians there. | |
| "Misrata is our number one priority," Nato deputy spokeswoman Carmen Romero told AFP news agency on Wednesday. | |
| She added that alliance warplanes had hit Col Gaddafi's military around Libya's third largest city on Monday. | |
| Prime Minister David Cameron announced earlier this week that an additional four RAF Tornados would be sent to Italy, joining 18 RAF jets already deployed. | |
| A total of 34 nations are involved in operations in Libya in support of the UN Security Council resolution to protect civilians in the north African country. |