Moamer Kadhafi's forces fired a Scud missile from the stronghold of Sirte on Sunday but the weapon landed in the desert without causing any casualties, a US defense official said Monday.

"We think it was targeted at Brega," a town southwest of Benghazi that is now partially under rebel control, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The missile "overshot" the target by about 50 miles and fell "harmlessly in the desert," the official said.

No other missiles were fired, he added.

The launch, first reported by the British newspaper the Daily Telegraph, marked the first time Kadhafi's forces had used the Scud since NATO began an air campaign against the regime on March 19.

Libya has an estimated 240 of the ballistic missiles in its arsenal, and its "Scud B" model has a range of about 300 kilometers (186 miles), according to the Jane's Defence military journal

The account of the Scud attack came as Libyan rebels fought Kadhafi's forces around oil installations in Brega, an eastern town that has played a pivotal role in the conflict.

The rebels have seized control of the eastern residential area but are trading artillery fire with Kadhafi's troops in the town's west.

Tweet

Related Links