BENGHAZI – Forces loyal to Muammar Gadafy bombarded Misurata yesterday, just a day after rebels celebrated the pullback of government troops from the western Libyan city, a rebel spokesman said.
“The situation is very dangerous,” rebel spokesman Abdelsalam said by telephone from Misurata. “Gadafy’s brigades started random bombardment in the early hours of this morning. The bombardment is still going on.”
Captured government troops said on Saturday they had been ordered to retreat from Misurata – the only major rebel-held city in western Libya – after a siege of nearly two months, and rebels had claimed victory. But the mood was short-lived and the prospect of a turning point in the two-month conflict dimmed yesterday.
Government forces bombarded three residential areas and the city centre, Abdelsalam said. Rebel spokesman Safieddin said a large part of Tripoli Street was under the control of rebels, and insurgents had launched an attack on the remaining Gadafy forces after Nato air strikes in the early hours.
Rebels have so far been unable to advance from eastern Libya as they fight with Gadafy’s troops on the coastal road between the towns of Ajdabiyah and Brega.
Rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil told a news conference in Kuwait yesterday the oil state would contribute 50 million Kuwaiti dinar (€122 million) to Libya’s rebel council. Fellow Gulf Arab state Qatar, which has joined western military operations in Libya, has been marketing Libyan oil on behalf of the rebels to help them generate income.
An arms embargo on Libya is being enforced by Nato, but the rebels also need money to create the infrastructure of a state from scratch and care for victims of the conflict as they pursue their two-month-old battle to shake off Gadafy’s rule. “This amount will help us a lot in paying the salaries of employees who did not receive their little salaries for two months,” Mr Abdel Jalil said. “We are capable of only covering 40 per cent of this amount. We are in need of urgent aid.”
Hundreds have been killed in the fighting for Misurata, raising fears of a humanitarian crisis in the besieged city. Safieddin said at least 36 people had been killed there by Gadafy’s forces since Saturday: eight during yesterday’s bombardment and 28 on Saturday, many killed by booby-traps left behind by retreating forces. More than 100 had been wounded.
Rebels in their eastern stronghold Benghazi said they had no expectations of an early end to fighting in Misurata. “I don’t think this is a real withdrawal,” said rebel military spokesman Ahmed Bani. He said government loyalists might be trying to stoke tensions between Misurata and neighbouring towns, and that Gadafy’s troops might return under the guise of protecting local tribes.
Libyan deputy foreign minister Khaled Kaim had said the army would “leave it to the tribes and the people around Misurata to deal with the situation, whether by using force or using negotiations”.
British foreign secretary William Hague told the BBC he doubted Gadafy’s forces were really going to withdraw.
“This may be cover for using more insurgent-type warfare without any uniforms and without tanks.”
Britain and France have been leading air strikes against Gadafy’s forces in an operation mandated by the UN Security Council on March 17th to protect civilians.
Libyan state news agency Jana quoted a military source as saying the US use of drones was aimed at political assassination.
Western powers have been bombing Libyan positions for more than a month. The US, Britain and France say they will not stop their air war until Gadafy leaves power.
The Libyan government has repeatedly announced ceasefires, but failed to halt military operations. – (Reuters)