Special forces already inside Libya

50 British special forces already deep inside Libya... and more are ready to be deployed

Squadron of SAS and SBS troops have been in country for a month

 British Tornado aircraft launch fresh wave of attacks on Gaddafi's forces

 Bombing raids target military bases on outskirts of Tripoli  MOD has already spent nearly £30m on air operations and missile strikes

Hundreds of British troops have been deployed deep inside Libya targeting Colonel Gaddafi’s forces – and more are on standby.

While Chancellor George Osborne repeated that UK ground troops would not be involved, the Daily Mail can reveal there are an estimated 350 already mounting covert operations.

In total it is understood that just under 250 UK special forces soldiers and their support have been in Libya since before the launch of air strikes to enforce the no-fly zone against Gaddafi’s forces.

The revelation came as the Ministry of Defense confirmed this morning that British Tornado aircraft undertook missile strikes last night against Gadaffi's forces.

The troops in Libya were drawn from a squadron of SAS and SBS personnel, some who have been in the country for a month and are being re-supplied with water, food and ammunition via airdrops from Cyprus.

Those numbers were further boosted by nearly 100 this week when paratroopers from the Special Forces Support Group (SFSG) were sent to Libya as coalition commanders prepare to increase the tempo of operations.

A further 800 Royal Marines are on five days’ notice to deploy to the Mediterranean to support humanitarian relief and aid operations.

The beefing up of the Special Forces contingent comes as commanders switch attacks against command and control centers to low-level attacks against Gaddafi’s tanks.

And overnight British warplanes again roared over Tripoli, targeting military bases on the outskirts of the city.

Reports by the AFP news agency said that at least three explosions hit the city, with one heard in Tajoura, where the bases are located.

Libya forces returned fire using anti-aircraft weapons but where unable to stop the raids.

The Ministry of Defense also confirmed that they had attacked armored vehicles in the town of Ajdabiya around 430miles south of the capital.

Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox said: 'British Tornado GR4 Aircraft, on armed reconnaissance missions over Libya, last night took part in a coordinated missile strike against units of Colonel Gaddafi's Libyan Military in support of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973.

'The Tornado aircraft launched a number of guided Brimstone missiles at Libyan armored vehicles which were threatening the civilian population of Ajdabiya. Brimstone is a high precision, low collateral damage weapon optimized against demanding and mobile targets.'

French aircraft were also involved in the attacks with the French Army's chief of staff, Admiral Edouard Guillaud, saying his forces had destroyed an artillery battery.

Mr Guillard also said French warplanes destroyed a military base, a munitions depot and maintenance facilities during raids on Thursday.

The action is the sixth night of bombing by coalition jets and came after NATO agreed to take over enforcement of the no-fly zone.

But with Gaddafi forces continuing to pound rebel positions, more special forces will be needed in the next phase of operations to ensure that RAF pilots do not kill civilians used as human shields by Gaddafi or destroy key public buildings.

Officials say the UK force is under very clear directions not to get drawn into close combat operations with regime forces unless their own lives are threatened or in extreme circumstances in which Gaddafi forces are killing unarmed civilians.

A senior official said: ‘Our aim is maintain a low profile, and simply deliver information and facilitate the situation for other agencies to splash (destroy) the targets.’

UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon told the BBC that removing Gaddafi was not the sole aim of the operation but that it could be one effect.

In an interview Mr Ban said: 'In the course of this implementing the Security Council resolution by enforcing a no-fly zone, and by taking military action, this may create a certain atmosphere politically, where Libyan people may discuss about their own future, including leader.'

And he said that the intervention had had the desired effect.

'It has deterred further aggression of military campaign by Libyan authorities and it was able to protect the civilians in Benghazi and some other areas. But we'll have to see. I believe that the superiority of the military power will prevail.'

Talks were also ongoing this morning between members of the African Union and delegates from Libya, the EU, the UN, the Arab League and the Islamic Conference.

The head of the Union, Jean Ping, said the talks were an attempt to 'foster an exchange of views in order to take action on the situation in Libya and to seek the ways and means towards a swift solution to the crisis'.

Revelations about the true scale of the ground deployment cast grave doubt on the Government’s estimate of the cost of the war.

Mr Osborne yesterday sought to allay public fears, saying: ‘Our estimate is that it will be in the tens of millions of pounds in terms of the cost.’

But Daily Mail calculations show that the MoD has spent at least £29.2million in just five days on the air operations and cruise missile strikes – not including the costs of the Special Forces deployed in Libya.

At that rate the war will cost more than £100million after just 17 days.

Yesterday a French fighter jet blasted a Libyan warplane caught violating the no-fly zone. The plane – said to be a single-engine Soko G-2 Galeb trainer aircraft – was hit by an air-to-ground missile as it landed at Misrata air base after flying over the besieged rebel-held city.

The strike by a coalition Rafale fighter is the first incident of its kind since the no-fly zone was imposed last week. Coalition military sources had previously claimed Libya’s air capability had been totally neutralized.

More than 100 people have been killed and 1,300 injured in Misrata following days of tank bombardment and sniper attack by the tyrant’s army.

 

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