Gaddafi troops captured in Tunisia

Attempt by Libya loyalist soldiers to retake a key crossing from rebel hands leads to border skirmish with Tunisian forces The Libyan civil war has briefly spilled into Tunisia as the west of the country saw heavy fighting on two fronts and Nato reported that Muammar Gaddafi’s forces were laying anti-shipping mines in the sea off Misrata. Loyalist troops made incursions over the border into Tunisia in a battle to retake a key crossing from rebel hands, drawing condemnation from Tunis. Libyan soldiers were captured by Tunisian forces after firing indiscriminately in clashes that lasted about 90 minutes, according to reports. Witnesses said three Tunisians were injured. Any sign of the Libyan conflict stretching into Tunisa would have serious regional implications. “Given the gravity of what has happened … the Tunisian authorities have informed the Libyans of their extreme indignation and demand measures to put an immediate stop to these violations,” the Tunisian foreign ministry said. Rebels later claimed the Wazin-Dehiba crossing was back in their hands. “Gaddafi forces are no longer in Dehiba. They were defeated,” a witness named as Akram told the Associated Press. Control of the crossing has changed several times in the past 10 days. More than 30,000 refugees have flooded across the border since fighting intensified about three weeks ago, and it is a critical supply and escape route for the besieged opposition. The area is dominated by Berbers, who have suffered systematic repression under the Gaddafi regime. Nato said it was mounting air strikes against loyalist targets in two towns in the region, Zintan and Yafrin. It said its aircraft have destroyed a dozen tanks in the area this month. Heavy fighting in Misrata centred on the area around the airport, the last position held by Gaddafi’s forces after being defeated in the city centre. After several days of low-intensity clashes, rebels attacked early in the morning with automatic weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns. Government troops responded with missiles and tanks, setting fire to a shoe factory and sending a pall of black smoke across the city. “It’s very difficult against tanks,” said Rami Pengharpia, 21, a rebel fighter wounded in the back by shrapnel. “Only Nato can do something against them.” On the western side of Misrata, where rebels have been slowly forcing Gaddafi’s forces back along the road to Tripoli, there was close-quarter fighting near the satellite town on Zawiya al-Majhoub. Tanks fired at rebel positions, and into civilian areas. Mortars were also used. By mid-afternoon at least 15 rebel fighters and civilians had died, according to doctors in Misrata. Several dozen people were injured, including three young siblings, two boys and a girl, hurt by shrapnel after a shell fired by Gaddafi’s forces struck their house. “Gaddafi knows that he cannot win in Misrata as long as Nato is flying above,” said Dr Khalid Abu Falgha. “But he is still trying to kill as many people as he can by shelling indiscriminately.” Gaddafi’s army also continued shelling the port, the city’s lifeline, as Nato said its warships had caught government naval forces trying to lay mines in the harbour. Brigadier Rob Weighill, the British director of Nato’s Libyan operations, said his ships had intercepted small boats laying mines in the harbour, which is the only entry point for food and medical supplies into Misrata. “It again shows [Gaddafi's] complete disregard for international law and his willingness to attack humanitarian delivery efforts,” Weighill said in Naples. Aid agencies have evacuated thousands of civilians and injured people from the port. Rebels have also brought in light weapons from eastern Libya by sea. The leader of the rebellion in Misrata made an urgent plea to the international community for weapons that would allow his fighters not just to defend the besieged city, but to topple Gaddafi. Khalifa al-Zwawi, an appeal court judge who heads Misrata’s transitional council, told the Guardian that rebel forces would eject the last of Gaddafi’s troops from the city very soon. “The most important thing for us now is arms. We need weapons that are suitable to take on Gaddafi. As soon as our freedom fighters reach people in other cities they will join our revolt,” he said. Zwawi said the number of dead in Misrata, excluding Gaddafi’s forces, exceeded 1,000. More than 4,000 have been injured, with hundreds more kidnapped by loyalist troops and taken to other cities. Nato said it has conducted more than 4,200 sorties over Libya since taking control of the international alliance’s military operation. More than 1,700 were air strikes, not all of which identified or struck targets. In addition 19 Nato ships are patrolling the central Mediterranean. Among the targets hit during the aerial onslaught were 220 tanks and armoured personnel carriers, 200 ammunition facilities and 70 surface-to-air missile systems. Libya Muammar Gaddafi Tunisia Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East Harriet Sherwood Xan Rice guardian.co.uk

Posted by on April 29, 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.