Thursday, March 17, 2011

The rebels resist Gaddafi offensive pending the decision of the UN

Although troops Muammar Gaddafi, a stone's throw from Benghazi, the city cradle of the uprising, maintain the military initiative and bomb the people who still control the regime's opponents, the rebels holding out in hopes that the shift in the U.S. position in the Security Council to achieve the international intervention in order to help avoid a feared bloodbath.

The main battles are taking place in Misrata, Libya's third largest city, located about 200 kilometers east of Tripoli and the last of the West under insurgent control, and Ajdabiya, city to be retaken by troops loyal to Qadhafi would open the door to ground assault the rebel stronghold, Benghazi, 150 kilometers further east.

Until then, Libya's aviation punishes east with bombings, such as that carried out this afternoon on a military airport located only 10 kilometers from the city, but the opposition says it has achieved one of the fighters down . The situation is unclear in both scenarios, which adds the propaganda war on both sides.

At noon, Libyan television announced that the regime had recovered Misrata, where a defiant last night Gaddafi promised would take place today "decisive battle." However, three residents contacted by telephone and a spokesman for the insurgents say the rebels still control the city. "They're lying.

Misrata is quiet and no sound of shelling, "said one of them. According to medical sources quoted by Al Jazeera, the battles of yesterday in this city caused 80 deaths between Gaddafi and 18 troops from the insurgents. Its inhabitants are preparing for a new attack. "We're not sure whether they will attempt now or wait for reinforcements from Tripoli, especially after yesterday's defeat," said a neighbor.

Despite Gadhafi's soldiers used tanks and artillery fired several rounds, the rebels managed to stop the army and capture some of his armor. In fact, the Libyan government itself hours later contradicted his earlier announcement, to ensure that the battle will be decided today Misrata government troops regained control of tomorrow Misrata morning.

civilian casualties as in Ajdabiya, the rebels trying to contain the dictator's troops, aware of the importance of preserving this town, but rely less on the Security Council approves UN no-fly zone. deserters from the Gaddafi regime has deployed tanks, artillery and a helicopter, which is the first confrontation with his former co-religionists, according to the BBC.

The civilian victims of the fighting are crowded into hospitals, where one witness cited by the chain Al Arabiya has seen the bodies of at least 30 women, children and elderly, and a hundred wounded. "Gaddafi's forces have surrounded Ajdabiya from all directions, and there are fierce battles between rebels and the brigades of Gaddafi at the entrances east and south," he said.

Cars burned, shot holes vehicles, a dump tank and three bodies were part of the landscape that witnessed yesterday a cameraman for Associated Press at the entrance to the town, while government troops deployed trucks loaded with ammunition, rockets and supplies. According to Ibrahim Dabbashi told last night, the Libyan Deputy Ambassador to the UN, which supports the opposition, Gaddafi is preparing two operations: the Ajdabiya, where he has sent more than 400 vehicles full of mercenaries, and another against the western mountain towns , which is deploying tanks, heavy artillery and other weapons.

According to information received by the diplomat, Gaddafi has given orders to "destroy everything and kill all who are in Ajdabiya, sparing no life" and to "destroy all the Berber villages, in what qualifies Dabbashi "ethnic cleansing." The diplomat urged the international community to act in the next 10 hours if you want help to curb the government offensive against the rebels.

In this scenario, there seem to have much credibility the announcement of the General Defense Committee of Libya, equivalent to the Ministry of Defence of the regime, has decided to cease its military operations against "armed terrorist gangs" from midnight Saturday According to the Libyan news agency Jana.

The Committee has taken this decision, as Jana, to give time to those "armed terrorist groups" to "lay down their arms and benefit from the general amnesty" Gaddafi promised a few days ago. Benghazi ultimatum Army last night issued an ultimatum for civilians to leave before midnight (Spanish) Benghazi key areas ahead of possible bombings in the second largest city.

But after this time, life in the city was quiet and normal, according to several witnesses told of the agency. Jibril al-Huweidi, a doctor at the Benghazi Hospital Jalaa, tells how at that time still hear the sounds of ambulances going Ajdabiya Benghazi, "something that could not be done quickly if the forces of evil were near Benghazi," said to.

Shortly after the announcement of the Army, Gaddafi claimed that not expected to produce any combat or battle between its troops and opponents of his regime. "Every place where (the rebels) have been fortified, are now being sterilized with the help of the people, who tell us where they are located," the Libyan leader claimed in an interview with Lebanese LBC television.

However, the bombing on the outskirts of Benghazi continue today. The Libyan regime has announced it is moving towards the outskirts of the city, after taking Zueitina oil enclave, although a spokesman for the rebels, two United dictator's troops have been demolished.

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