Opposition fighters say a Libyan air force plane attacked a military base in rebel hands near the strategic eastern town of Ajdabiya.

But witnesses say its bombs missed, falling outside the site’s walls and causing little damage.

The barracks has been targeted repeatedly by Gaddafi’s forces. euronews spoke to an opposition figure who has visited the base.

“We were at the military site of Haniyeh 10 kilometres southwest of Ajdabiya. It’s an arms depot,” said lawyer Nooh Abdel Sayed.

“What is strange is that Gaddafi’s regime keeps on trying to destroy this weapons dump.

We tried beforehand to carry some (of the) ammunition and heavy weapons but we noticed there were some liquid materials. They had signs on them indicating that they were dangerous – perhaps chemicals, that’s what we were afraid of.”

There is no evidence that what the lawyer saw were chemical weapons.

There has been international concern that Gaddafi has stockpiles of chemicals such as mustard gas that he might try to use against his own people.