Libyan rebels have said that the gunmen who shot dead the rebel military chief were fighters of an allied militia, in apparent confirmation of deep rifts among the forces struggling to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi.
The reports follow 24 hours of confusion over the killing of Abdel Fattah Younes, a defector from Gaddafi's inner circle, whose death deals a blow both to the rebels and their Western backers.
There had been widespread speculation as to whether Younes had been killed in an internal rebel feud or by Gaddafi forces which had penetrated the Benghazi-based movement.
The killing of such a senior figure was a setback for the rebels as they were winning broader international recognition and launching an offensive in the west, and has deepened fears that divisions within the rebel camp will prolong the conflict.
Rebel minister Ali Tarhouni told reporters in Benghazi that an allied militia leader who had gone to fetch Younes from the front line had been arrested and had confessed that his subordinates had carried out the killing.
Rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said yesterday that Younes had been recalled for questioning to Benghazi but was killed before he arrived. Relatives said they retrieved a burned and bullet-riddled body.
The rebels have seized swathes of the country, but five months into the rebellion still appear far from ousting Gaddafi and remain poorly equipped.
Speculation about the assassination of Younes ranged widely. There were reports that he had been suspected of feeding the Gaddafi camp with information. One rebel commander said Islamists whom Younes had targeted in his job as interior minister may have been to blame.
Meanwhile, the Libyan government has said that 190 rebels have been killed in western fighting.
Moussa Ibrahim also said that al-Qaeda was responsible for the death of rebel military chief Abdel Fattah Younes, whose death yesterday dealt a blow to the rebels and Western forces seeking to remove Gaddafi.
The rebels have claimed to have taken several towns in a fresh attack in the west.
A rebel minister earlier today said that Younes had been killed by militia fighters allied to the rebellion.
