An air strike by the NATO-led coalition forces killed 13 rebels and injured seven near Brega in eastern Libya, rebel fighters said on Saturday.

Brega is a coastal oil town that has been won and lost by the rebels in recent weeks.

According to Qatari broadcaster Al-Jazeera, when the rebels were trying to recapture the oil town, NATO planes dropped bombs on a rebel convoy by mistake.

NATO was investigating the incident, a spokeswoman said Saturday.

According to rebel spokesman, rebel fighters had retaken Brega after a night of fighting with Moammar Gaddafi's forces.

The regime of Muammar Gaddafi had started to communicate with western countries in an effort to end the conflict in Libya, the Guardian reported on April 1.

NATO carried out 74 airstrikes in Libya during the first day since taking over full command of military operations from the United States on March 31.