France said it did not break a U.N. arms embargo by airlifting weapons to Libya's rebels because the arms were needed to defend civilians under threat.

France on Wednesday became the first Nato country to openly acknowledge arming rebels seeking to topple Muammar Gaddafi, who has resisted a three-month-old bombing campaign that has strained alliance and rebel firepower.

The bombing is backed by a U.N. Security Council resolution authorising force to protect civilians but Britain, France and the United States say they will not stop until Gaddafi falls.

Citing unnamed sources, Le Figaro newspaper said France had parachuted rocket launchers, assault rifles, machineguns and anti-tank missiles into the Western Mountains in early June.

A French military spokesman confirmed delivery of arms, prompting some U.N. diplomats to argue that such transfers without the consent of the Security Council's Libya sanctions committee could violate the embargo.

"We decided to provide self-defensive weapons to the civilian populations because we consider that these populations were under threat," French Ambassador to the United Nations Gerard Araud told reporters.

"In exceptional circumstances, we cannot implement paragraph 9 when it's for protecting civilians," Araud said of a section of the U.N. Security Council resolution 1970 from February that imposed a comprehensive arms embargo on Libya.

Resolution 1973 subsequently authorised U.N. member states "to take all necessary measures" to protect civilians in Libya.

It also adds "notwithstanding paragraph 9 of resolution 1970" on the embargo, opening up what some US and European officials say is a loophole allowing them to arm rebels.

In the rebel-held city of Misrata, about 200 km (130 miles) east of Tripoli, six rockets landed early on Thursday in the Habara district, near the city's oil refinery and port. A Reuters journalist in Misrata said there were no casualties.

Nato said it was not involved in any transfers of weapons to the rebels and France's allies reacted cautiously.

British Minister for International Security Gerald Howarth said he had no criticism of France's actions, but added: "It's not something we shall be doing."

At an Africa Union summit in Equatorial Guinea, AU Commission chief Jean Ping said arms going into Libya could end up in the hands of al Qaeda allies in the region.

"Africa's concern is that weapons that are delivered to one side or another ... are already in the desert and will arm terrorists and fuel trafficking," Ping told reporters. – Reuters