Libyan rebels stand next to an armed vehicle at the western gate of the strategic restive town of Ajdabiya, on April 20, 2011,. France and Italy joined Britain in sending military advisers to insurgent-held eastern Libya, as Tripoli warned that foreign boots on the ground would prolong the conflict. UPI\Tarek Alhuony. | License Photo

Libyan rebels sit next to an armed vehicle at the western gate of the strategic restive town of Ajdabiya, on April 20, 2011,. France and Italy joined Britain in sending military advisers to insurgent-held eastern Libya, as Tripoli warned that foreign boots on the ground would prolong the conflict. UPI\Tarek Alhuony. | License Photo

A Libyan rebel flashes the V-sign for victory as sit on to an armed vehicle at the western gate of the strategic restive town of Ajdabiya, on April 20, 2011. France and Italy joined Britain in sending military advisers to insurgent-held eastern Libya, as Tripoli warned that foreign boots on the ground would prolong the conflict. UPI\Tarek Alhuony. | License Photo

A RQ-1 Predator from the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron lands at Tallil Air Base, Iraq on Jan. 20, 2004. The Predator is a remotely piloted vehicle that provides real-time surveillance imagery in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (UPI Photo/Suzanne M. Jenkins/AFIE) | License Photo

U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Justin Cole communicates with the pilot of an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle prior to a night mission from Ali Air Base, Iraq on November 5, 2007. UPI/Jonathan Snyder/U.S. Air Force | License Photo

WASHINGTON, April 27 (UPI) -- British Defense Secretary Liam Fox Wednesday said London "may have to look at" sending ground troops to Libya to protect innocent civilians.

As forces loyal to Libyan strongman Col. Moammar Gadhafi continue to battle rebels, thousands of civilians have been caught up in the fighting.


Asked by a member of Parliament whether ground troops might be required to protect safe havens or civilians or for humanitarian purposes, Fox said it was "something we may have to look at," The Daily Telegraph reported.

"The basis on which we operate is if there is any new development which we believe is different from that which has gone before we would seek advice from the attorney general," Fox told members of the Commons Defense Committee.

U.S. President Barack Obama has ruled out sending American ground forces to Libya and Fox Wednesday repeated there is "no intention to deploy any British troops on the border with Libya." Britain has about 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, where British forces have been active since 2003.

An F-16 aircraft participating in the NATO-led operation to protect Libyan citizens was involved in what NATO called an incident on landing in Italy Wednesday.

The pilot ejected safely and his condition was being assessed, NATO said on its Web site. The nationality of the aircraft was not released.

The cause of the incident at Naval Air Station Sigonella was being investigated by Italian police.

NATO also said an unmanned aircraft was used in Tripoli Tuesday to destroy a surface-to-air missile system. Operators of the Predator drone delayed the firing until civilians left a nearby football field.

Because the drone strikes will continue, NATO said it has asked civilians to distance themselves from Gadhafi regime forces, installations and equipment whenever possible.

Rebels hunkered down in Misurata said much of the city resembled a wasteland Wednesday after NATO warplanes hit vehicles of Gadhafi forces advancing toward to port city.