( CNN ) -- A Libyan government spokesman said Thursday that forces loyal to embattled leader Moammar Gadhafi did not fire a missile at NATO warships , as he had told reporters a day earlier . The Italian frigate Bersagliere reported spotting a suspected missile about 19 kilometers ( 12 miles ) off the port city of Zlitan on Wednesday . The weapon had fallen harmlessly into the sea , according to Italy 's defense ministry and NATO . Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim told reporters that government forces were responsible for the attack , but said Thursday that his comment was `` a misunderstanding . '' Ibrahim told CNN that military officials later told him they had n't launched a missile at the NATO fleet currently off Libya . `` We did not fire any missiles into the sea against the ship , '' Ibrahim told CNN . Gadhafi 's forces have been battling a nearly six-month-long revolt that has split Libya roughly in half . NATO planes and warships joined the fight in March , pounding government troops under a U.N. mandate to protect civilians from reprisals by Gadhafi loyalists . Though most of the allied campaign has been conducted from the air , NATO warships reported fighting at least two brief sea engagements with pro-Gadhafi forces off the port city of Misrata in May . CNN 's Jomana Karadsheh contributed to this report .
Libya now says it did n't fire a missile at an Italian frigate . The warship reported spotting the missile on Wednesday . The weapon landed harmlessly .