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The National Transitional Council (NTC) forces swept further into Sirte on Saturday as at least 6,000 fighters battled in and around the hometown of fugitive Muammar Qaddafi, one of the ousted Libyan leader’s last strongholds.
At a checkpoint some 30 kilometers west of the town, Commander Salem Jeha, a member of Misrata Military Council, told AFP: “We are now concentrated in a handful of buildings in the city and on the outskirts including Wadi Abu Hadi where Qaddafi’s forces are concentrated.”
Sirte airport came under complete control of NTC combatants late on Friday, he said, adding that there was “no possibility for them (Qaddafi’s forces) to continue their resistance.”
At a checkpoint some 30 kilometers west of the town, Commander Salem Jeha, a member of Misrata Military Council, told AFP: “We are now concentrated in a handful of buildings in the city and on the outskirts including Wadi Abu Hadi where Qaddafi’s forces are concentrated.”
Sirte airport came under complete control of NTC combatants late on Friday, he said, adding that there was “no possibility for them (Qaddafi’s forces) to continue their resistance.”
At the Gate 30 checkpoint, truckloads of ammunition could be seen heading towards the front, along with more pick-ups bearing fighters and anti-aircraft guns.
Jeha said there were some 1,200 NTC armed vehicles plus the thousands of fighters, mostly from Misrata, in the Sirte area.
“There may be houses and pockets of resistance, but they will not be able to overcome the rebels’ massive forces,” he said, adding that he had received reports that half of the city's civilians had fled.
The attacking fighters were trying to prevent civilian loss of life and were not seeking revenge: “We are not using heavy weapons except to protect our rebels when they are targeted.”
Jeha added: “This matter is sealed, it’s over. Our focus will now shift to free the south.”
Lieutenant Abdel Wahid al-Aguri, a former regular officer, said: “We are now in control of the highway and the southern part of the city.”
He added that the national army would continue to back and protect volunteer fighter brigades leading the Sirte offensive, but admitted there were some coordination issues between different forces on the battlefield.
“This is a weird battle, because in the traditional army there are clear orders whereas here we cannot coordinate closely,” he said.
Aguri said rebels had so far held back from firing their heaviest weapons, which include cannon and Grad rockets that are readily available, in a bid to minimize loss of life and damage to property.
A pick-up truck arrived at the Gate 30 checkpoint bearing three prisoners whom the NTC forces said were Qaddafi snipers, an AFP correspondent reported.
One prisoner, an old man showed signs of having been beaten, with blood streaming from his temple.
The youngest prisoner managed to blurt out to AFP that he was 19 as an angry crowd of fighters ringed the vehicle and tried to beat the three. Others held them back, however, shouting that there were media present.
“Sahafa, sahafa (journalists, journalists),” they yelled.
Meanwhile, Qaddafi’s spokesman, Mousa Ibrahim, said that the deposed strongman is in Libya, directing all aspects of fight against provisional government, Reuters reported him as saying.
Ibrahim also said that NATO air strikes on Sirte overnight had hit a residential building and a hotel, killing 354 people.
He said that more than 2,000 people were killed by NATO’s airstrikes in Sirte in the last 17 days.
His claim could not immediately be verified as Sirte has been largely cut off from communication since the fall of Tripoli.
“NATO attacked the city of Sirte last night with more than 30 rockets directed at the city’s main hotel and the Tamin building, which consists of more than 90 residential flats.
“The result is more than 354 dead and 89 still missing and almost 700 injured in one night,” Ibrahim said.
“We are aware of these allegations,” Colonel Roland Lavoie, spokesman for the Western military alliance, said in Brussels. “It is not the first time such allegations have been made. Most often, they are revealed to be unfounded or inconclusive.”
According to Ibrahim, the loyalists’ forces have enough arms and ready to fight for months.
Jeha said there were some 1,200 NTC armed vehicles plus the thousands of fighters, mostly from Misrata, in the Sirte area.
“There may be houses and pockets of resistance, but they will not be able to overcome the rebels’ massive forces,” he said, adding that he had received reports that half of the city's civilians had fled.
The attacking fighters were trying to prevent civilian loss of life and were not seeking revenge: “We are not using heavy weapons except to protect our rebels when they are targeted.”
Jeha added: “This matter is sealed, it’s over. Our focus will now shift to free the south.”
Lieutenant Abdel Wahid al-Aguri, a former regular officer, said: “We are now in control of the highway and the southern part of the city.”
He added that the national army would continue to back and protect volunteer fighter brigades leading the Sirte offensive, but admitted there were some coordination issues between different forces on the battlefield.
“This is a weird battle, because in the traditional army there are clear orders whereas here we cannot coordinate closely,” he said.
Aguri said rebels had so far held back from firing their heaviest weapons, which include cannon and Grad rockets that are readily available, in a bid to minimize loss of life and damage to property.
A pick-up truck arrived at the Gate 30 checkpoint bearing three prisoners whom the NTC forces said were Qaddafi snipers, an AFP correspondent reported.
One prisoner, an old man showed signs of having been beaten, with blood streaming from his temple.
The youngest prisoner managed to blurt out to AFP that he was 19 as an angry crowd of fighters ringed the vehicle and tried to beat the three. Others held them back, however, shouting that there were media present.
“Sahafa, sahafa (journalists, journalists),” they yelled.
Meanwhile, Qaddafi’s spokesman, Mousa Ibrahim, said that the deposed strongman is in Libya, directing all aspects of fight against provisional government, Reuters reported him as saying.
Ibrahim also said that NATO air strikes on Sirte overnight had hit a residential building and a hotel, killing 354 people.
He said that more than 2,000 people were killed by NATO’s airstrikes in Sirte in the last 17 days.
His claim could not immediately be verified as Sirte has been largely cut off from communication since the fall of Tripoli.
“NATO attacked the city of Sirte last night with more than 30 rockets directed at the city’s main hotel and the Tamin building, which consists of more than 90 residential flats.
“The result is more than 354 dead and 89 still missing and almost 700 injured in one night,” Ibrahim said.
“We are aware of these allegations,” Colonel Roland Lavoie, spokesman for the Western military alliance, said in Brussels. “It is not the first time such allegations have been made. Most often, they are revealed to be unfounded or inconclusive.”
According to Ibrahim, the loyalists’ forces have enough arms and ready to fight for months.
Aggravated in Bani Walid
Grumbles replaced gunfire outside the Qaddafi bastion of Bani Walid on Saturday as anti-Qaddafi fighters sat in the morning sun discussing their defeat the day before, as occasional mortar bombs whistled towards them.
The mortar fire from the town’s defenders, loyal to Libya’s old leader, only aggravated the men’s humiliation.
“It was difficult,” admitted one fighter, surprised he had survived a hail of sniper fire and rockets when his brigade raced into Bani Walid on Friday. “We’ll do it differently next time.”
The mood could not have been more different to the one on Saturday when ruling NTC forces, who had waited outside the town through more than two weeks of abortive negotiations for its surrender, were finally given the order to take it with a full-on military assault.
“Bani Walid, Bani Walid,” shouted NTC fighters as they hurtled into battle in pick-up trucks mounted with machineguns. “Let’s go. God is greatest. Bani Walid will be free.”
After hours of heavy fighting, the NTC men started pouring out of Bani Walid almost as fast as they had poured in, saying they had been ordered to retreat after facing stout resistance.
The mortar fire from the town’s defenders, loyal to Libya’s old leader, only aggravated the men’s humiliation.
“It was difficult,” admitted one fighter, surprised he had survived a hail of sniper fire and rockets when his brigade raced into Bani Walid on Friday. “We’ll do it differently next time.”
The mood could not have been more different to the one on Saturday when ruling NTC forces, who had waited outside the town through more than two weeks of abortive negotiations for its surrender, were finally given the order to take it with a full-on military assault.
“Bani Walid, Bani Walid,” shouted NTC fighters as they hurtled into battle in pick-up trucks mounted with machineguns. “Let’s go. God is greatest. Bani Walid will be free.”
After hours of heavy fighting, the NTC men started pouring out of Bani Walid almost as fast as they had poured in, saying they had been ordered to retreat after facing stout resistance.
Traitors, snipers, oil slicks
On Saturday, the surly-looking NTC fighters had several theories as to why they were defeated.
“There are traitors among us,” Anas Madraha told Reuters, repeating a familiar refrain that Qaddafi infiltrators were feeding information to Bani Walid’s defenders.
Another NTC fighter, Abushusha Bellal, went further.
“When we entered the city, snipers shot at us from the front and traitors shot at us from the back,” he said with a look of disbelief. “They always play tricks and shoot us in the back.”
For others, the oil the Qaddafi men poured down the steep streets leading to the city centre was the problem. There were not enough troops. The organization was chaotic. There was no cooperation between the different brigades who took part in the attack. There was a lack of discipline, they said.
One fighter, Nuraldin Zardi, told Reuters his brigade had missed the order to retreat and had found itself trapped and isolated inside Bani Walid hours after their comrades had fled.
“God only knows why,” he yelled, shaking his fist. “When the shelling started no one told us we were supposed to retreat.”
“There are traitors among us,” Anas Madraha told Reuters, repeating a familiar refrain that Qaddafi infiltrators were feeding information to Bani Walid’s defenders.
Another NTC fighter, Abushusha Bellal, went further.
“When we entered the city, snipers shot at us from the front and traitors shot at us from the back,” he said with a look of disbelief. “They always play tricks and shoot us in the back.”
For others, the oil the Qaddafi men poured down the steep streets leading to the city centre was the problem. There were not enough troops. The organization was chaotic. There was no cooperation between the different brigades who took part in the attack. There was a lack of discipline, they said.
One fighter, Nuraldin Zardi, told Reuters his brigade had missed the order to retreat and had found itself trapped and isolated inside Bani Walid hours after their comrades had fled.
“God only knows why,” he yelled, shaking his fist. “When the shelling started no one told us we were supposed to retreat.”
