9:06 AM
Unknown
Rebels clash with government forces near oil terminal
* Warplane attacks rebels for a third straight day - * Rebels seek outside air strikes to ready no-fly zone - (Recasts, Tripoli unrest, artillery, Zueitina report) - By Maria Golovnina andMichael Georgy
TRIPOLI, March 4 (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi widened attacks on rebel-held areas in an escalation of Libya's crisis on Friday and unrest spread to the capital when gunmen opened fire to break up dissident protests.Eastern-based rebels pressed home their push to the west with an attack on the oil town of Ras Lanuf, claiming to have taken its airport.
The rebels earlier told Reuters they were open to talks only on Gaddafi's exile or resignation following attacks on civilians that have provoked international condemnation, a raft of arms and economic sanctions and a war crimes probe.
In developments likely to raise concern about dwindling food and medical supplies in rebel-held areas, reports from around the vast country suggested a sharp worsening of a conflict that the West fears could trigger a mass refugee exodus to Europe.
The popular uprising against Gaddafi, the bloodiest yet against a long-serving ruler in the Arab world, has knocked out nearly 50 percent of the OPEC-member's 1.6 million barrels of oil per day output, the bedrock of its economy.
In the east, rebels fired a sustained barrage of mortar bombs and rockets at a military base in the oil terminal of the eastern port of Ras Lanuf, which lies on a strategic coastal road, and the army returned fire with artillery. Rebel sources told Reuters they had taken the town's airport.
In Zawiyah, about 50 km (30 miles) west of the capital, pro-Gaddafi forces fought for hours with rebels who have been holding the town centre, two residents told Reuters.
"From 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) until now Gaddafi's mercenaries, mainly from Africa, have been opening fire on people here," said a local man called Ibrahim. "Hundreds of victims are now in the town hospital."
"We have no choice but to continue our fight against this dictator." The account could not be verified independently.
An oil facility at Zueitina, south of the Libyan rebel-held city of Benghazi, has been damaged and was on fire, Al Jazeera said, showing a video of black smoke rising from an oil plant.
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 North African oil producer.
* Warplane attacks rebels for a third straight day - * Rebels seek outside air strikes to ready no-fly zone - (Recasts, Tripoli unrest, artillery, Zueitina report) - By Maria Golovnina andMichael Georgy
TRIPOLI, March 4 (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi widened attacks on rebel-held areas in an escalation of Libya's crisis on Friday and unrest spread to the capital when gunmen opened fire to break up dissident protests.Eastern-based rebels pressed home their push to the west with an attack on the oil town of Ras Lanuf, claiming to have taken its airport.
The rebels earlier told Reuters they were open to talks only on Gaddafi's exile or resignation following attacks on civilians that have provoked international condemnation, a raft of arms and economic sanctions and a war crimes probe.
In developments likely to raise concern about dwindling food and medical supplies in rebel-held areas, reports from around the vast country suggested a sharp worsening of a conflict that the West fears could trigger a mass refugee exodus to Europe.
The popular uprising against Gaddafi, the bloodiest yet against a long-serving ruler in the Arab world, has knocked out nearly 50 percent of the OPEC-member's 1.6 million barrels of oil per day output, the bedrock of its economy.
In the east, rebels fired a sustained barrage of mortar bombs and rockets at a military base in the oil terminal of the eastern port of Ras Lanuf, which lies on a strategic coastal road, and the army returned fire with artillery. Rebel sources told Reuters they had taken the town's airport.
In Zawiyah, about 50 km (30 miles) west of the capital, pro-Gaddafi forces fought for hours with rebels who have been holding the town centre, two residents told Reuters.
"From 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) until now Gaddafi's mercenaries, mainly from Africa, have been opening fire on people here," said a local man called Ibrahim. "Hundreds of victims are now in the town hospital."
"We have no choice but to continue our fight against this dictator." The account could not be verified independently.
An oil facility at Zueitina, south of the Libyan rebel-held city of Benghazi, has been damaged and was on fire, Al Jazeera said, showing a video of black smoke rising from an oil plant.
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 North African oil producer.
Posted in: World
0 comments:
Post a Comment