@feb17libyaFeb17Libya
Hundreds of civilians have fled Sirte today, leaving behind mostly troops loyal to Gaddafi - #Libya #Feb17 feb17.info/live-libya-unr…
2:00pm: The exodus of fleeing residents from the Libyan town of Sirte grew larger on Friday, as revolutionary fighters continued their offensive to seize control. Hundreds of vehicles packed with families and household goods were seen trying to leave the besieged town.
1:30pm: The military chief of Libya’s new interim government attended a meeting on Friday between Tuareg tribesmen and local Arabs in the southwestern town of Ghadames aimed at patching up differences that have recently spilled over into violence.
1:00pm: Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini was in Libya on Friday in a bid to rebuild Rome’s close diplomatic and economic ties with its former colony after the fall of Gaddafi. Frattini arrived at Tripoli airport and was to meet later with National Transitional Council (NTC) chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil and interim prime minister Mahmoud Jibril, an Italian foreign ministry source told AFP in Tripoli. The source said the goal of the visit was to “re-establish our close ties with the Libyan people” and to “participate in the reconstruction of the country”.
11:00am: Tripoli residents want revolutionaries out, writes AP’s Hadeel al Shalchi; More than a month since revolutionary forces seized the Libyan capital, the heavy thud of anti-aircraft guns and the crackle of automatic weapon fire still echoes across the city, and bands of young fighters in pickup trucks bristling with heavy weapons cruise the streets.