NATO Strike Kills Gaddafi’s Son: Rebels

Local Editor

Libyan capital came under heavy airstrikes by NATO warplanes early on Friday, with rebels claiming an overnight strike on an operations center in the western town of Zliten has killed Muammar Gaddafi's son Khamis and 32 others. Citing spies operating among Gaddafi's ranks, Mohammed Zawawi, a spokesman for revolutionary militia groups, told AFP news Agency on Friday that Khamis was confirmed to be among the dead. "Overnight there was a aircraft attack by NATO on the Kadhafi operations room in Zliten and there are around 32 Gaddafii troops killed. One of them is Khamis," said Zawawi. Khamis, who has long led pro-government militia fighters, was said to be commanding the battle for Zlitan -- a Gaddafi bastion that has halted the rebel advance on Tripoli. About ten loud explosions were heard in the capital. According to Libyan state television, "Civilian and military sites" at the southeastern suburb of Khellat al-Ferjan had been targeted by "the colonialist aggressor." REGIME: REBELS SABOTAGE KEY PIPELINE Meanwhile, Gaddafi regime official said late Thursday that rebel forces had sabotaged a pipeline in the mountainous region of Jebel Nefussa. "The rebels turned off a valve and poured cement over it”, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaaim said adding that this would lead to a shortage of electricity in the capital as oil and gas were used at the Zawiyah refinery to generate power. Kaaim said there was a humanitarian crisis in Libya with and medicine supplies were spoiling in the capital due to long power cuts. NATO "wants to create a humanitarian crisis in Libya while the aim of its mission is to protect civilians", Kaaim said. NEGOTIATIONS WITH OPPOSITION On the other hand, Libyan regime tried to part the opposition, with Gaddafi’s son Seif al-Islam claimed an alliance with “Islamists”. After months of branding the entire opposition as radical extremists, Seif al-Islam spoke of a pact with Ali Sallabi, a leading cleric in the rebel-held east. For his part, Sallabi told AFP there was no pact existed, but he acknowledged that talks had taken place with Seif al-Islam. "Our dialogue with them is always based on three points: Kadhafi and his sons must leave Libya, the capital (Tripoli) must be protected from destruction and the blood of Libyans must be spared. There is no doubt about these constants," he said.

Source: Agencies 05-08-2011 - 11:47 | 134 View

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