Saturday, March 5, 2011

Gaddafi fights to regain control


Forces loyal to embattled Libyan leader launch fresh attack on Az Zawiyah, close to Tripoli, but opposition fights back.

Al-Jazeera

"....By Saturday morning, his forces broke through opposition defences in the city of Az Zawiyah after they began renewed attacks at 6am local time, eyewitnesses told Al Jazeera.

The loyalist forces attacked residential areas in the city, firing heavy artillery from all sides, including from the sea. Tanks and armoured vehicles had broken through defences into Martyrs' Square, in the heart of the town, early in the day.

By 10am, the people of the town had retaken Martyrs' Square, after hours of intense fighting and a high number of casualties. At least 30 people were killed in fierce clashes in the town the previous day, but the death toll from the assault on Saturday morning was unclear.....

Dr Hamdi estimated more than 150 people had been injured on Saturday morning.

"A large number of people are gathered in the centre of the square after they pushed forces out of the city," Dr Hamdi told Al Jazeera.

Thousands of people were assembled at the square, he added, preparing to defend it from any further assaults by Gaddafi's forces....

"They have no mercy on civilians; the regime is attacking everything indiscriminately," Ahmed said.

Gaddafi's security forces were using ambulances to kidnap wounded people, Human Rights Solidarity, a Geneva-based organisation, told Al Jazeera.

"Now with all the artillery, tanks and armored vehicles, the fierce fighting is ongoing and people are massacred in a way that we didn't see in Iraq,” Abdul-Fatah Az-Zawi, another local, told Al Jazeera......"

No comments: