Reply #54: Rebels hit by airstrike "went ahead to see what the damage was, and that's when they got hit"

[pinboy3niner]

From a CNN report:

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


"Based on the information we have, they (the opposition forces who were hit) heard the airstrikes and went ahead to see what the damage was, and that's when they got hit," rebel spokesman Shamsiddin Abdulmolah said. "They were told to stay back, but they jumped the gun."

http://us.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/04/03/libya.war/index.html?hpt=T2

This was pointed out iln the last thread--that not only did the rebel fighters fire AA when NATO warplanes were overhead (either in celebration, or as a provocation by a pro-Gaddafi infiltrator, according to various reports); they had moved forward to an area NATO already had struck--presumably an area identified as held by Gaddafi forces.

Given these circumstances, it's not surprising that this 'friendly fire' accident happened.