British military officers to be sent to Libya

Rebel fighters say they have made gains in Misrata British military officers will be sent to Libya to advise rebels fighting Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces, the UK government has said. Foreign Secretary William Hague said the group would be deployed to the opposition stronghold of Benghazi. The BBC understands 10 UK officers and a similar number from France will give logistics and intelligence training. Mr Hague said it was compatible with the UN resolution on Libya, which ruled out foreign military ground action. He stressed that the officers would not be involved in any fighting and the move was needed to help protect civilians. Support and advice The UN Security Council resolution, passed in March, authorised a no-fly zone over Libya. Mr Hague said: "The [UK] National Security Council has decided that we will now move quickly to expand the team already in Benghazi to include an additional military liaison advisory team. This contingent will be drawn from experienced British military officers. "These additional personnel will enable the UK to build on the work already being undertaken to support and advise the NTC [opposition National Transitional Council] on how to better protect civilians.