Libya rebels claim Tripoli advance

Rebels opposed to the Gaddafi regime claim they are advancing on the capital on three fronts and meeting little resistance Libyan rebels claim to be advancing on Tripoli on three fronts and meeting only sporadic resistance. Thirty-five miles west of the city, television pictures appeared to confirm reports that they are in control of much of the town of Zawiya, including the coastal highway to the Tunisian border. Fifty miles to the south, opposition fighters say they have pushed out of the Nafusa mountains to capture Ghariyan, cutting one of only two main highways linking Tripoli to the rest of Libya. To the east, rebel forces in Misrata have this weekend completed their capture of Tawarga. The attacks have been accompanied by heavy Nato air strikes with the alliance website reporting 51 military targets destroyed in three days of bombing. An al-Jazeera report from inside Zawiya showed rebels apparently in control of streets and the coastal highway, countering claims from Tripoli that government units had retaken the town. There was no independent confirmation of the capture of Ghariyan, but in Misrata, rebels said resistance by government forces to the east collapsed after a brief battle, allowing fighters to gain control of the neighbouring town of Tawarga. Pro-Gaddafi forces fled the town along with many civilians, abandoning vehicles and equipment including heavy artillery, with rebels further claiming that there were no enemy formations ahead. “We left one road open, we watched them drive away down it,” said rebel fighter Abdullah Maiteeg. He said the advance east from Misrata, which has claimed five rebel lives, had stopped because of concern that units might be mistaken for government forces by Nato jets. In Tripoli, a spokesman insisted Zawiya was under government control but gave no further details. Libya Arab and Middle East unrest Muammar Gaddafi Chris Stephen guardian.co.uk

Posted by on August 14, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.