Saturday, March 05, 2011

Moammar Gadhafi’s forces fought their way into the rebel-held western town of Zawiya Friday, leaving at least 30 civilians dead, but rebels said they had captured the eastern town of Ras Lanuf, extending their hold on eastern Libya.
Another 17 people were killed Friday night in a raid by Gadhafi loyalists on an arms depot on the outskirts of Libya’s second city of Benghazi in the east of the country.

Gadhafi became a wanted man Friday after Interpol said it had issued a global alert against the Libyan leader and 15 others, including members of his family and close associates, to help enforce travel bans and asset freezes set out under U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed at the weekend.

The fighting Friday appeared to confirm the division of the vast desert oil-producing state between a western area round the capital Tripoli held by forces loyal to Gadhafi and an eastern region held by those rebelling against his four-decade rule.
In Zawiya, a town 50 kilometers west of Tripoli, “dozens were killed and more were wounded,” by pro-Gadhafi forces, said Mohammad, a resident. “We have counted 30 dead civilians.”

The loyalist forces used grenade-launchers, heavy machineguns and snipers on the roof of a new hotel to fire at protesters when they marched after Friday prayers to demand the fall of the regime, Mohammad said.
The commander of the rebel forces – Col. Hussein Darbouk – was shot to death by fire from an anti-aircraft gun, said Alaa al-Zawi, an activist in the city. Darbouk was a colonel in Gadhafi’s army who defected along with other army troops in Zawiya early on in the uprising.

In the east, rebels said their forces had taken the oil town of Ras Lanuf, which lies on a strategic coastal road, hours after saying they had captured the town’s airport.
“We have taken Ras Lanuf 100 percent, Gadhafi’s forces have all left,” rebel soldier Hafez Ibrahim said from the town. He did not say who held the nearby military base and oil terminal.

A deputy foreign minister in Tripoli, however, told reporters that government forces still held the town. He said “ … maybe there are still some pockets [under rebel control] but otherwise it’s been liberated.”
Rebels have already seized control of much of the rest of eastern Libya, the main oil-producing part of the country, in a popular uprising that is centered on Benghazi.

Mustafa Gheriani, a spokesman for the rebel February 17th Coalition, said pro-Gadhafi forces bombed an arms depot – one of the biggest weapons depots in the region – on the outskirts of Benghazi after nightfall.
“A lot of people have been killed. There are many people in the hospital. No one can approach, it’s still very dangerous,” said a resident who would only identify himself as Saleh.

Al-Jazeera television reported 17 people had been killed in the raid on the arms depot at Rajma near Benghazi. Al-Arabiya put the death toll at 16.

Security forces had cordoned off the area, and a Reuters witness said at least eight ambulances were seen ferrying casualties from the scene. Windows were shattered in suburbs several kilometers from the scene, residents said.
Earlier Al-Jazeera said that an oil facility at Zueitina, south of Benghazi, has been damaged and is on fire, showing video of black smoke rising from an oil plant.

The rebels earlier told Reuters they were open to talks only about Gadhafi’s exile or resignation, following attacks on civilians that have provoked international condemnation, arms and economic sanctions and a war crimes probe.
“Victory or death … We will not stop until we liberate all this country,” Mustafa Abdel-Jalil, head of the rebel National Libyan Council told supporters of the two-week-old uprising.

Abdullah al-Mahdi, a rebel spokesman, told Al-Jazeera opposition fighters would attack the capital once a “no-fly” zone was enforced by international powers to try to shatter Gaddafi’s grip on the country of six million people.
In another development, Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said Friday the government had accepted a peace initiative put forward by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
The initiative stated a committee would be formed by African, Asian and Latin American countries “to help the international dialogue and to help the restoration of peace and stability.”

In Tripoli, shots were heard across Tajoura district as a protest against the Gadhafi regime was broken up by pro-Gadhafi loyalists.
Hundreds of demonstrators spilled out of Murat Adha mosque after Friday prayers, and began to chant slogans against the long-time leader.

Up to 100 people in Tripoli had been arrested, accused of helping the rebels, Al-Jazeera said.
“All these people are threatened with death,” said a 35-year-old among the Tajoura protesters Friday. “We have no education, no economy, no infrastructure … We want nothing but the end of the regime. We were born free but he is suppressing us.”

“I am not afraid,” said another man in the march. “We want to show the world that we are not afraid.”
Earlier Friday, rebel volunteers said a rocket attack by a government warplane just missed a rebel-held military base which houses an arsenal in the eastern town of Ajdabiyah. – Agencies