U.S. drone took part in Libya strikes, hit unclear

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An unmanned U.S. aircraft took part in strikes on Thursday in Libya, a NATO official said, but it was unclear whether U.S. or French airpower had struck the convoy of former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

"There was a U.S. Predator (drone aircraft) involved in the mission but I can't tell you with certainty that it participated in the exact strike that could have hit the vehicles" in a convoy believed to have been carrying Gaddafi near his hometown of Sirte, the official said.

NATO said its warplanes fired on a convoy near Sirte at about 8:30 a.m. (2:30 a.m. ET), striking two military vehicles in the group but could not confirm that Gaddafi was a passenger.

France later said its jets had halted the convoy. The NATO official said it was unclear which aircraft may have struck which vehicles and whether Gaddafi -- later killed in the custody of rebel forces -- was wounded in the strikes.

(Reporting by Missy Ryan and Phil Stewart; Writing by Missy Ryan)