International Forces does their best to protect civilians from dictator Gaddafi !

Watch Videos of Bombing of Dictator Gaddafi's Air Defence


Loud explosions have rocked the Libyan capital, Tripoli, a day after international forces launched an operation to enforce a no-fly zone over the North African country.


Anti-aircraft tracer fire erupted in Tripoli late on Sunday, indicating a second wave of incoming jets aimed at targets belonging to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.


Britain's ministry of defence said one of its submarines had again fired guided Tomahawk missiles on Libyan air defence systems on Sunday.


Gunfire could also be heard from the area around Gaddafi's residence in the Bab el-Aziziya barracks in the south of Tripoli, with reports of separate explosions coming from the same area.


Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from the capital, said it was not immediately clear where the explosions had occurred as journalists were not allowed to visit the sites targeted.


"The principle firing happened around nine o'clock in the evening local time and that's when we believe there was a strike in the region of Gaddafi's compound," she said. 


"We saw a large plume of smoke coming from an explosion somewhere in that general direction. It is likely there were plenty of useful military targets there if you were a major international force looking to persuade Gaddafi to make peaceful noises."



The blasts came two days after the United Nations Security Council authorised international military action to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya, as well as "all necessary measures" to prevent attacks by Gaddafi forces on civilians.


'Gaddafi not a target'


The US military said the bombardment so far has succeeded in degrading Gaddafi's air defences.


But a Pentagon spokesman stressed in a press briefing on Sunday that the Libyan leader is not a target for the international military assault on the country.


However, Navy Vice Admiral William E Gortney added that any of Gaddafi's ground troops advancing on pro-democracy forces are open targets for US and allied attacks.


"If they are moving on opposition forces ... yes, we will take them under attack," he told reporters.


"There has been no new air activity by the regime and we have detected no radar emissions from any of the air defence sites targeted and there's been a significant decrease in in the use of all Libyan air surveillance radars."


Gortney said the coalition acting against Gaddafi, which originally grouped the US, Britain, France, Italy and Canada, had broadened to include Belgium and Qatar.

30 civilians Killed - Attempt by Dictator Gaddafi's Forces to retake Az Zawiyah fails !

 -  Forces attacked us with machine guns and heavy weapons" - Civilian Says


Nearly  30 civilians of Az Zawiyah killed after Gaddafi's forces tried to retake oppostion held town of Az Zawiyah.The oppostion in Az Zawiyah - the closest rebel-held territory to the capital and also the site of an oil refinery - has been an embarassment to the Libyan authorities who are trying to show they control at least the west of the country.


Eastern regions of the country, around the city of Benghazi, have already fallen out of Gaddafi's control after a popular revolt against his four decades of rule.


On Friday evening, at least 12 people were killed and another 10 injured after explosions took place at an ammunition dump near Benghazi. There were conflicting reports regarding the cause of the blast.


Hospital sources said it was triggered when people went into the storage facility to collect weapons, while others blamed pro-Gaddafi forces.


"The two explosions took place at 6:30 pm (1630 GMT). The casualties started to arrive at hospital an hour later," said Idriss Ghazali, a doctor at the Houari hospital.





Anwar Mahmud al-Tajuri, a witness, told the AFP news agency that a fire had broken out in one warehouse, which spread to the second in about five minutes.


"After the first explosion, we left. When the firefighters arrived, they were caught in the second blast."



In Az Zawiyah, Mohamed, a resident of the town, told the Reuters news agency that "dozens were killed" and more wounded in violence there.


"We have counted 30 dead civilians. The hospital was full. They could not find space for the casualties."


Another resident, Mohamed Nusrat, told Al Jazeera: "Gaddafi forces tried to prohibit us from entering the middle square of Az Zawiyah and join the gathering there. They attacked us with machine guns and heavy weapons."


"The opposition movement is now in control of most Az Zawiyah, except for the oil refinery and some outside entrances which are still being guarded by Gaddafi forces."


Their accounts could not be independently verified because reporters' movements in Libya are restricted.


Anita McNaught, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tripoli, said a source close to the Libyan government had told her that Az Zawiyah "has been retaken by government forces".


"Zawiyah now is calm, and its under control by locals and the army and everything is OK. There are a few terrorists, they escaped with some Kalashinikovs and some revolvers and now [security forces] are chasing them," said Khalid Kaim, Libya's deputy foreign minister.


A rebel leader in Az Zawiyah was also killed in the clashes on Friday. 


"Many people were killed in Harsha, which is now occupied by them," Youssef Shagan, a rebel spokesman, told the Reuters news agency, referring to a small town just outside Az Zawiyah.


"They shot at civilians. We still control [Az Zawiyah's] central square. They are four to five kilometers away. Our army commander has been killed in Harsha. We have appointed a new one."


Late on Friday night, residents reported that pro-Gaddafi forces had surrounded the city.


"We are under siege, we are surrounded from the east, west and south, only the north is open because it opens to the sea," Ali, a resident, told Reuters by phone. "Electricity has been cut, we are in the dark ... Maybe they are planning an attack."

Pro Dictator Muammar Gaddafi forces struggle to regain control of strategic cities

- Human Rights Groups fears that their will be a possible genocide sooner or later- 


Government opponents, the protestors in the Libyan city of Az Zawiyah have successfully repulsed an attempt by crual forces loyal to Dictatot Muammar Gaddafi to retake the city close to the capital, Tripoli, in six hours of fighting overnight, witnesses say.


Tuesday's claims follow reports that government forces attacked the city from the west and the east, and that fighter jets bombed an ammunition depot in the eastern city of Ajdabiya. There was no word on casualties in Az Zawiyah, which is 50km west of Tripoli. "We will not give up Az Zawiyah at any price,'' one witness said.


"We know it is significant strategically. They will fight to get it, but we will not give up. We managed to defeat them because our spirits are high and their spirits are zero."


The rebels, who include army forces who defected from the government, are armed with tanks, machine guns and anti-aircraft guns. They fought back pro-Gaddafi troops who attacked from six directions using the same weapons.

Gaddafi's forces battle rebels - Protestors repulse the Attack !

- The USA had moved warships and air forces closer to Libya and France had started to send aid to the opposition controlled eastern half of the country -

Pro Gaddafi Fighter jets reported to have bombed Ajdabiya and Az Zawiyah as Libyan Dictator defies mounting international pressure. According to some unconfirm reports several hundred of innocent people have died and injured badly.


Forces loyal to Dictator Muammar Gadaffi are battling rebels in control of cities both close to Tripolo the capital city and far away from it.


Reports said on Monday that fighter jets bombed an ammunition depot in the eastern city of Ajdabiya, while a resident of Az Zawiyah, 50km west of Tripoli, told us by telephone that fighting started on Monday evening and intensified after sundown when troops loyal to Gaddafi attacked the city from the west and east.


"We were able to repulse the attack. We damaged a tank with an RPG. The mercenaries fled after that," said the resident of Az Zawiyah, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of government reprisals.


He said Gaddafi called the city's influential tribal leader, Mohammed al-Maktouf, and warned him that if the rebels did not leave the main square by early Tuesday, they would be hit by fighter jets & he had told the protestors should take responsibility if a Genocide occurs. 


"We are expecting a major battle," resident of Az Zawiyah said, adding that the rebels killed eight soldiers and mercenaries on Monday.Another resident of Az Zawiyah said he heard gunfire well into the night on the outskirts of town.





AP Reporter said he saw a large, pro-Gaddafi force massed on the western edge of Az Zawiyah. There were also about a dozen armoured vehicles along with tanks and jeeps mounted with anti-aircraft guns.


An officer said the troops were from the elite Khamis Brigade, named after one of Gaddafi's sons who commands it and said by US diplomats to be the best-equipped force in Libya.


The fighting came amid mounting international pressure on Gaddafi - already under sanctions over his handling of the turmoil - to end a crackdown on opponents pushing for his ouster.


The US, meanwhile, said it was moving warships and air forces closer to Libya and France said it would fly aid to the opposition-controlled eastern half of the country.


But Abdel Fattah Younes, Libya's former interior minister who has defected to the opposition, told Al Jazeera that welcoming "foreign troops" was "out of the question" although "touching down in Libya is acceptable only in the case of emergency".


"For example if any pilot was forced to eject, he will be hosted and protected by us," he said.


Humanitarian concerns


With government forces and rebels clashing in different parts of Libya, the security situation in and around Tripoli has made it too dangerous for international aid agencies to assess the need for medicine, food and other supplies there, according to the UN.


"The major concerns are Tripoli and the west where access is extremely difficult because of the security situation," Valerie Amos, the UN humanitarian chief, told Al Jazeera on Monday.


"There are reports that between 600 and 2,000 people have already been killed in Tripoli. We don't know the absolute accurate number because we haven't got people there who are able to do assessments ... we've seen some horrific pictures of what is happening and we really want to be able to go in to help people in the time of need."


Amos also called on countries neighbouring Libya to keep their borders open so refugees can continue to flee.


As of Monday morning, an estimated 61,000 had fled into Egypt, 1,000 to Niger and 40,000 to Tunisia, according to the UN, which said there was concern about water and sanitation for the refugees. 


Libya also borders Algeria, Niger, Chad and Sudan.


The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has also called for immediate and safe access to western Libya.


ICRC teams entered the eastern side of the country including the country's second city Benghazi over the weekend, and are now supporting local doctors with medical care. Two thousand people were wounded there, according to the agency.


A similar ICRC team including surgeons and supplies was waiting on the western border in Tunisia.


"Right now, the situation is far too unstable and insecure to enable much-needed help to enter western parts of the country," Yves Daccord, the ICRC director-general, said.


"Health and aid workers must be allowed to do their jobs safely. Patients must not be attacked, and ambulances and hospitals must not be misused. It's a matter of life and death."


Thousands of foreigners have been evacuated from Libya since the unrest began on February 17, with ships and aircraft sent by countries including China  India, the US, Turkey and many other European countries.


Anti-government protests started in the country's second-largest city of Benghazi, which is now in the hands of the protesters, and have since spread to the west of the country.


Gaddafi, in power since 1969, remains defiant and has scoffed at calls to step down, saying foreign powers, including al-Qaeda and drug addicts, were behind the unrest. 


SOurce ; al jazeera.net

Gaddafi rivals close in on Tripoli !

Areas near capital fall to protesters amid fears that forces loyal to Libyan Dictator Gaddafi could launch counter-attack which could lead to a genocide. 13 days so far since the beginning of the uprise.


Libya's opposition movement has seized control of territory close to the capital, Tripoli, as anti-government protesters gear up for what could be a final battle for leader Muammar Gaddafi's stronghold.






Three areas in the east were reported to be under the control of protesters on Monday, a day after pro-democracy demonstrators took control of the city of Az-Zawiyah, just 50km west of Tripoli.Men opposed to Gaddafi patrolled the streets of Az-Zawiyah, saying they had seized weapons and even tanks which they would use to defend themselves.


But they were also bracing themselves for a potential showdown with forces loyal to Gaddafi, who have reportedly surrounded the city.Ezeldina, a Zawiyah resident had told that people in the city had raided  military camps to prepare for a potential raid by government forces. "We are expecting an attack at any moment," he said. "We are forming rotating watch groups, guarding the neighbourhood."





Pro-Gaddafi rallies


Government forces manned several checkpoints between Az-Zawiyah and the capital, and supporters of the Libyan leader demonstrated in the Harsha district, 5km from the centre of Zawiyah.


Government loyalists also took to the streets just outside the capital, waving posters and chanting slogans.


The rallies appeared to be evidence that Gaddafi had not lost complete control of the capital.


Ibrahim Sharquieh, deputy director of the Brookings Doha Centre, said the battle between pro- and anti-Gaddafi forces for Tripoli is not likely to be won immediately.


"We know that [Gaddafi] is in the Bab al-Aziziya area [of Tripoli] and Bab al-Aziziya seems to be very secure. He has his militia around him and they are doing a good job protecting him," Sharquieh told Al Jazeera.


"He has even made some attacks outside the Bab al-Aziziya area.


Canadian and British prime ministers urging the Libyan leader to leave too !


Meanwhile, the calls for Gaddafi to step down multiplied, with the Canadian and British prime ministers urging the Libyan leader to leave.




Their calls come as the US secretary of state prepares for crisis talks in Switzerland. Hillary Clinton is due to meet other foreign ministers on the sidelines of a UN human rights meeting in Geneva on Monday.


Speaking ahead of the meeting, Clinton called for an end to the bloodshed in Libya.


"First we have to see the end of his regime and with no further bloodshed,"  she said, adding that Washington is eager for his ouster "as soon as possible".


"We want him to leave."


Clinton also said that Washington was "reaching out" to opposition groups, prepared to offer "any kind of assistance" to Libyans seeking to overthrow the regime.


However, opponents of Gaddafi forming a National Libyan Council in the east said they did not want any foreign intervention in the country.


"We can comfortably say that he is still in control in Tripoli. Although there is some resistance in some areas I don't think we can talk about the city falling today or tomorrow."

America closes Libya embassy & readies sanctions

The United States shuttered its embassy in Libya on Friday and readied stiff financial and other penalties against Moammar Gadhafi and his loyalists, ending days of cautious condemnation by all but calling for the unpredictable leader's immediate ouster.


Gadhafi's legitimacy has been "reduced to zero," the White House said as it announced the steps.


The sharper U.S. tone and pledges of tough action came after American diplomatic personnel were evacuated from the capital of Tripoli aboard a chartered ferry and a chartered airplane, escorting them away from the violence to Malta and Turkey. As they left, fighting raged on in Tripoli and elsewhere in Libya as Gadhafi vowed to crush the rebellion that now controls large parts of the country.


With U.S. diplomats and others out of harm's way, the administration moved swiftly. Shortly after the chartered plane left Libyan airspace, White House spokesman Jay Carney said the U.S. had been constrained in moving against Gadhafi and his loyalists due to concerns over the safety of Americans but was now ready to bring more pressure on the government to halt its attacks on opponents.


"It's clear that Colonel Gadhafi has lost the confidence of his people," Carney told reporters. "He is overseeing the brutal treatment of his people, the fatal violence against his own people and his legitimacy has been reduced to zero in the eyes of his people."





The White House was finalizing a presidential executive order that would name Gadhafi and his family, impose travel bans and freeze assets, according to an administration official familiar with the document who spoke on condition of anonymity because it had not yet been made public. Part of the goal of such efforts is to encourage Gadhafi loyalists to defect.



Carney said sanctions would "make it clear that the regime has to stop its abuses, it has to stop the bloodshed." International officials say thousands may be dead.


But the hesitancy to outline the full range of U.S. punishments reflected in part the administration's skepticism that it had many options to influence Gadhafi. The 68-year-old has had a rocky relationship with the West, and American officials are worried about his unpredictability as he desperately seeks to maintain his four-decade grip on power.


U.S. military action is considered unlikely, although the Obama administration has not ruled out participation in an internationally-administered protective no-fly zone.


Carney said some sanctions would be unilateral, and others would be coordinated with international allies and the United Nations, whose chief, Ban Ki-moon, was invited to Washington for Monday talks with President Barack Obama.


Carney cited U.N. negotiations on a possible weapons embargo, but declined to lay out the independent steps the U.S. would take.


The Treasury Department had already ordered American banks to scrutinize accounts linked to senior Libyan officials and inform authorities of any attempts to misappropriate or divert public funds.
The U.S. suspended operations at its Tripoli embassy after a chartered flight took the last embassy staff out of the country at 1:49 p.m. EST. That followed a ferry that departed earlier Friday and arrived in Malta with nearly 338 passengers aboard, including 183 Americans.


The U.S., however, did not break diplomatic relations with Libya because it wants to retain the ability to communicate directly with Libyan officials to appeal for restraint and an end to the violence, State Department officials said. The embassy will be re-opened once security conditions permit, they said.
The administration stressed that the U.S. pressure was part of a broader movement to bring peace to Libya, with several officials saying the international community was speaking with a single voice on the matter. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is headed to Switzerland on Sunday to meet foreign policy chiefs from key allies. Officials said she might announce specifics of the U.S. sanctions on Monday.
But whereas French President Nicolas Sarkozy told Gadhafi to step down, the U.S. refrained — just barely — from a similar declaration.


"The status quo is simply neither tenable nor acceptable," Carney said. "The Libyan people deserve a government now that protects the safety of its citizens, is responsive to their aspirations and is broadly representative."


Obama was briefing world leaders on U.S. plans and coordinating the international pressure on Gadhafi's government. He spoke Friday with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and they discussed measures to hold Libya's government accountable for its "unacceptable" violence. That followed Thursday's discussions with leaders from Britain, France and Italy.


The U.S. maintained a stiff embargo against Libya for years, calling it a terrorist sponsor. Washington eased restrictions over the past several years in recognition of Gadhafi's decision to renounce his nuclear weapons program and his cooperation in anti-terror operations. Carney said the U.S. would suspend the limited military cooperation it had with the country.


Libya ranks among the world's most corrupt countries and has enormous assets to plunder. Confidential State Department cables suggest that U.S. banks manage hundreds of millions in Libyan assets and the government has built a multibillion-dollar wealth fund from oil sales.


In Geneva, U.S. diplomats joined a unanimous condemnation of Libya at the U.N. Human Rights Council, which launched an investigation into possible crimes against humanity by Gadhafi's regime and recommended Libya's suspension from the body.


The U.N. Security Council in New York was discussing action simultaneously Friday, and NATO was talking about deploying ships and surveillance aircraft to the Mediterranean Sea.
Carney insisted the sanctions could work.


"Sanctions that affect the senior political leadership of a regime like Libya have been shown to have an effect," he said. We are also ... pursuing actions that will ensure that the perpetrators of violations of human rights are held accountable."


Source ; Associated Press  ( White House Correspondent Ben Feller contributed to this report )