British warplanes destroyed five Libyan armoured vehicles in air strikes against Muammar Gaddafi's forces in two towns where rebels were battling the regime, the defence ministry said Saturday Tornado jets enforcing a UN Security Council resolution fired missiles on Friday at pro-Gaddafi troops in Ajdabiya, which opposition forces retook Saturday, and in Misrata where heavy fighting is still ongoing, it said.
Major General John Lorimer, spokesman for the Chief of Defence Staff, said the Tornado GR4 planes took part in a "co-ordinated missile strike against units of Colonel Gaddafi's Libyan Military." "The Tornado aircraft launched a number of guided Brimstone missiles, destroying three armoured vehicles in Misrata and two further armoured vehicles in Ajdabiya," Lorimer said.
He described the Brimstone missiles as a "high precision, low collateral damage weapon optimised against demanding and mobile targets." A coalition led by the United States, Britain and France began air strikes one week ago to enforce the UN resolution which authorises "all necessary means" to set up a no-fly zone and protect civilians from Gaddafi's forces.