Libya revolt: Fresh air strikes in Brega

 

Rebels have been celebrating their apparent victory against pro-Gaddafi forces The Libyan oil terminal town of Brega has been targeted with air strikes, sources in the town said.

The strikes come a day after clashes between rebels and government troops in the town in which 14 people died.
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi took control there on Wednesday morning but were forced out by opposition fighters later in the day.
Col Gaddafi has lost control of the eastern half of Libya during two weeks of unrest but has vowed to fight on.
In a televised speech on Wednesday, Col Gaddafi also said that thousands of Libyans would die if Western forces intervened.
Thousands of people are thought to have died in the violence after security forces fired on protesters in the early stages of the protests.
In other developments:


• International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has said that he will announce the names of between 10 and 15 Libyan leaders that the court intends to investigate for crimes against humanity
• The Netherlands confirms three of its marines have been captured by pro-Gaddafi forces in Sirte while helping to evacuate two civilians
• Libya's ruling council rejects a peace initiative by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, but the Arab League says it is studying the proposal



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John Simpson: "Rebels may head west against Gaddafi's forces"

It was not clear what was being targeted in the air strikes on Brega.
"Around two hours ago, warplanes dropped a bomb in the area between the oil company and the residential area," hospital official Fattah al-Moghrabi said, quoted by AFP news agency.
"As far as I know, there were no casualties."
A rebel spokesman said planes had also bombed positions in Ajdabiya, a larger town further inside rebel territory.
The attacks came as rebels celebrated the outcome of Wednesday's fighting, in which they apparently cleared Brega of government forces.
The BBC's John Simpson, who is in the region, says that while the battle is by no means a final victory, it is an important reverse for the Libyan leader.
Rebels were reported as saying pro-Gaddafi forces had been pushed back to Ras Lanuf, another oil terminal to the west of Brega, but were preparing another attack.
They are calling for UN-backed air strikes against pro-Gaddafi forces, but Western officials are cautious of military involvement.




The violence has led to a major humanitarian crisis on the Tunisian border, with tens of thousands of foreigners, many of them Egyptian, stranded and unable to get home.
Some 75,000 people have fled to Tunisia since unrest began and 40,000 more are waiting to cross, the UN says.
Britain, France, Spain and other countries are conducting emergency airlifts to evacuate those gathered at the border.
The World Food Programme has announced a $38.7m aid programme for the 2.7 million people it says are engulfed in the crisis.

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