Libya's regime has taunted the UK over the death of rebel military commander Gen Abdel Fattah Younes.
He was killed this week in mysterious circumstances. A spokesman suggested the incident showed the UK government had made a mistake by recognising the rebel council as the sole authority in Libya.
There have been claims that Gen Younes, a former minister in Col Gaddafi's government, was shot by fellow rebels or by al-Qaeda.
On Wednesday, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said the UK would recognise the Libyan National Transitional Council as the "sole governmental authority", as it expelled Gaddafi-regime diplomats.
Rebel leader Mustafa Abdul-Jalil said Gen Younes and two aides had been killed by gunmen after being recalled from the front.
He said the ringleader of the attack had been held but he gave no details about his identity or a motive.
Hundreds of mourners carried a coffin containing the general's body into Benghazi's main square on Friday.
Col Gaddafi's government in Tripoli said the killing was proof that the rebels were not capable of ruling Libya.
'Nice slap to face' Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said: "It is a nice slap to the face of the British that the council that they recognised could not protect its own commander of the army."
Mr Ibrahim also said Gen Younes was killed by al-Qaeda, repeating a claim that the group is the strongest force within the rebel movement, which is based in the east of the country.
"By this act, al-Qaeda wanted to mark out its presence and its influence in this region," he said.
"The other members of the (rebel) National Transitional Council knew about it but could not react because they are terrified of al-Qaeda," he added.
The general - a former interior minister who had served at the heart of Col Muammar Gaddafi's regime since the 1969 coup - joined the rebels at the beginning of the Libyan uprising in February.
On Wednesday, the Libyan charge d'affaires in the UK was called to the Foreign Office to be told he and other diplomats must leave.
Instead the UK will ask the National Transitional Council to appoint a new diplomatic envoy.
It follows similar moves by the US and France. The UK previously said it recognised "countries not governments".
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