'Nato air strike' 5 killed in Libya

5 killed in 'Nato strike' in Libya

Libyans stand at a house, damaged

by coalition air strikes according to the

Libyan government, in Tripoli June 19

          Five people have died in a Nato air strike that hit a house in the Libyan capital Tripoli, Libyan government officials say.

          The BBC's Jeremy Bowen saw a three-storey house badly damaged at the scene of the alleged air raid in the city's Souk al Juma residential district.

          Our correspondent was later shown five bodies at a Tripoli hospital.

          He says if proved to be a Nato strike, it will raise more questions about the alliance's mission in Libya.

          Neighbours said the explosion happened at just after one in the morning. The building which was destroyed seemed to have been a family home. It looked to be the result of an air strike or missile attack.

          Afterwards, we were taken to Tripoli central hospital. The dead bodies of a husband and wife and a baby were in the mortuary, along with another dead man. Medical staff said they were all killed in the attack.

          There has been no response yet from Nato, but it has acknowledged mistakenly hitting civilian areas in previous bombing raids.

          Our correspondent was taken by Libyan government officials to a Tripoli hospital where he was shown the bodies of a dead woman, a dead man and a dead baby.

          The officials said they were members of a family killed in the alleged Nato air strike.

          Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said: "Nato is planting the seed of hatred in the hearts of Libyan people for years to come. They won't allow foreign armies to decide their future."

          Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim told reporters at the site that this represented "intentional and deliberate targeting of civilian houses".