"Last night, NATO attacked a large command and control bunker complex in downtown Tripoli that was used to coordinate attacks against civilian populations and successfully hit the targets we were aiming at," an alliance official told AFP.

"It has been alleged that NATO attacked the North Korean embassy; this is simply not true. In fact, the embassy is located some 500 metres (yards) from

the target we struck.

"While we are aware of media reports that there was damage to the North Korean embassy, we have no knowledge of possible collateral damage" during the bombing, the official underlined.

"Our strikes are precise and while the possibility of collateral damage will always exist, we go to great lengths to reduce such possibilities."

According to the Libyan regime, three people died in pre-dawn strikes hours after Libyan state television showed what it said was footage of Kadhafi meeting tribal leaders, the first new video of him aired since an April 30 air strike that his government termed an attempt on his life.