Tripoli target was anti-civilian HQ: NATO
"NATO carried out a precision strike in central Tripoli last night," it said. "The target was a Communications Headquarter that was used to coordinate attacks against civilians."
The statement came after NATO bombs destroyed Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi's office in his immense Tripoli compound in the Bab Al-Aziziya district.
A meeting room facing Qaddafi's office was badly damaged by the blast.
A Libyan official told journalists at the compound that 45 people had been hurt, 15 seriously, in the bombing. He added that he did not know whether there were victims under the rubble.
NATO said in Brussels that it could not comment on casualties.
"We have no independent means of verifying reports of possible civilian casualties," the NATO statement said.
"Unlike pro-Qaddafi forces, we continue to go to great lengths to reduce the possibility of any civilian casualties," added the statement.
The alliance said it was maintaining "a high operational tempo" to dampen Qaddafi's ability to attack his people in line with its mandate from the United Nations to protect the civilian population.
Since NATO took command of Operation Unified Protector on March 31, aircraft have flown more than 3,700 sorties and more than 1,500 strike sorties, it said, referring to missions "intended to identify and engage appropriate targets, but which do not necessarily deploy munitions each time."
In the last 48 hours, NATO aircraft also destroyed multiple-rocket launchers, armoured personnel carriers, bunkers and storage facilities in and around Misrata, Tripoli and Sirte.
"We will keep up the pressure until all attacks against civilians have stopped, Qaddafi's forces have withdrawn to bases and full and unimpeded humanitarian access has been ensured," said NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu.
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