Saturday, March 26, 2011

LIBYA: The insurgency took over the city of Brega and continues its westward offensive

The rebels have resumed Saturday Ajdabiya strategic towns in eastern and Brega in Libya, their first major victories since the start of the international military intervention against the forces of the regime of Muammar Gaddafi a week ago.

Strong military support international air cons pro-Qaddafi, the insurgents took control in quick lock Strategic Ajdabiya, 160 km south of Benghazi, a stronghold of the opposition, then the oil city of Brega 80 km further west, according to local journalists.

The forces of Colonel Qaddafi faced since February 15 in an insurgency that has unprecedented attempt to suppress the blood, have deserted their positions under cover of darkness, leaving the Rebels celebrate their reconquest Ajdabiyah drawing in the air and honking.

"The clashes were continuing Friday and then everything stopped around 23:30. And at midnight, the men went to Gaddafi," said one resident, Omar Bashi. "The rebels entered the city shortly after.It was time, we had only rice to eat for several days. "

The fighting, according to the rebellion, nine dead and nine wounded, while outside the city, the bodies of at least 21 fighters pro-Gaddafi were collected, according to medical sources. Other bodies, some charred or dismembered by bombs, still lay in the desert.

"Ajdabiya is 100% under the control of our forces and our forces go after Gaddafi Brega on the road," he said Saturday morning, a spokesman for the insurgents in Benghazi, Chamsiddin Abdoulmolah.

Late afternoon, the rebels claimed to have taken Brega, according to a reporter traveling with them.

"We are in the center of Brega.Gaddafi's forces have retreated and are now al-Bicher (30 km further west) and we move into this area, "said one rebel fighters, Abdelsalam al-Maadani.

Hitherto disorganized and inefficient, the insurgents took advantage of the coalition air support to resume the offensive.

The raids have "prepared the battlefield", and experienced officers and soldiers who joined the rebellion played a major role, "said Abdoulmolah.These soldiers have coordinated their attacks with the coalition, which came into action between the air strikes.

Asked about a Washington Post article claiming that the coalition was planning to send arms to the insurgents, one of their spokesman, Ahmed Khalifa, said that no deliveries had taken place at the moment but that these weapons would be welcome.

Meanwhile, the coalition has not released its pressure. It launched raids Friday night and into the night on the town of Zliten (west) and the Al-Wati (west).It also bombed a military site at Tajura, a suburb east of Tripoli, a target area on a daily basis.

President Barack Obama welcomed the developments, saying that the international mission in Libya was "targeted and being successful.""A humanitarian catastrophe has been averted and the lives of countless innocent civilians, men, women and children, were rescued."

According to an official of the Libyan Ministry of Health, the coalition raids killed at least 114 dead and 445 wounded from Sunday to Wednesday, mainly in Tripoli and its suburbs.

Despite his combative tone returns, the Gaddafi regime was willing to accept an African plan providing for the cessation of fighting and a dialogue for a "transition" democratic.

But at the same time, his forces are still trying to recapture the town of Misrata, rebel stronghold in the west, continuing their bombardment, according to a witness.Since Benghazi, the rebels have asked the international community to come to the aid of Misrata.

And the rebels have rejected the African initiative. "The only way to resolve this conflict is that Gaddafi and his son are brought to justice for crimes against humanity," said Khalifa. Mr.Gaddafi, in power for 42 years, maintains a defiant and refuses to go away.

Military intervention by the international coalition also wants policy, while the leader of the National Transitional Council reaffirmed the opposition grouping does not want to "foreign forces" on Libyan soil.

With the approach of a first meeting of the Contact Group in London on Tuesday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced "a Franco-British initiative" for a political solution. Italy has also announced it would present a plan during the summit.

The conduct of operations, NATO countries agreed to take immediate relay of the Coalition for the no-fly zone, but not for ground strikes.Negotiations should continue on Sunday that Nato will soon take all the operations in hand.

The Russian ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, whose country criticized the international response, said a ground invasion would be tantamount to occupation.

Find the events of Saturday, March 26 in Libya, Syria and elsewhere in the Arab world with our Liveblogging here.