“The situation in the area is still very fluid, with tanks and other vehicles moving in different directions, making it very difficult to distinguish who may be operating them. In addition, until this time we had not seen the TNC operating tanks,” the British officer said.

He added that it was not NATO’s responsibility to try to improve lines of communication with the rebels in order to avoid more mistaken airstrikes.

“It is not for us, trying to protect civilians of whatever persuasion, to improve communications with those rebel forces,” he said.