Tornado jets destroyed four of Colonel Gaddafi's main battle tanks.

RAF fighter jets have carried out a devastating raid on Colonel Gaddafi’s forces outside the key Libyan town of Ajdabiya.

In their most dramatic mission of the seven-day war, Tornado GR4 warplanes fired missiles at four tanks, turning them all into fireballs.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox said the armoured vehicles had been threatening the civilian population.
Tornado jets destroyed four of Colonel Gaddafi's main battle tanks. Defence Secretary Liam Fox said the heavy armour had been threatening civilians in Ajdabiya

Gaddafi loyalists, who retook most of the town from rebels last week, are accused of trying to starve locals and of carrying out beatings, kidnappings and rapes.

The RAF strikes have encouraged pro-democracy fighters around Ajdabiya. Last night a strong force of trucks fixed with multiple rocket-launchers and heavy machineguns was massing in an attempt to liberate the town.

‘This will weaken their forces and more importantly their morale,’ said rebel spokesman Mustafa Gheriani. ‘We feel safe under their [the jets’] protection.’

A rebel fighter inside Ajdabiya said: ‘The air strikes are for humanitarian reasons – Gaddafi’s brigades are killing people, torturing people.’

The RAF’s intervention late on Thursday halted the movement of government reinforcements to the town, which controls the coastal highway to the rebel-held city of Benghazi.

The Tornados were on a reconnaissance mission in the UN  no-fly zone when they spotted 12 armoured vehicles, including Russian-made T-72 tanks. At around 30,000ft, the jets fired precision-guided 110lb Brimstone missiles at their targets.


Fierce fighting: The body of a man in civilian clothes lies at the main gate of Ajdabiya after clashes between rebels and government forces

In two sorties, separated by refuelling, they blew up four tanks, while coalition planes took out three armoured vehicles.

Wing Commander Andy Turk, who navigated one of the Tornados during the raid, said: ‘To see the direct effect you’ve had by clearing away the tanks from the anti-regime forces was very rewarding. You get the feeling, “I’ve done something which has saved someone’s life”.’

French jets weighed in by destroying an artillery battery near the town. Gaddafi’s troops control most of Ajdabiya and have established a cordon in its outskirts. There is still fighting in the centre however.

Posted in: Tornado jets destroyed four of Colonel Gaddafi's main battle tanks.