NATO Strikes Destroy Al Qathafi Forces’ Weapons Depots in Zintan

The pro-government forces in Libya suffered a severe dent in their armour when NATO airstrikes hit their weapons depots 15 km southeast of the town of Zintan Friday.

A witness by the name of Abdulrahman told Reuters they could see buildings on fire in the distance. He went on to say: “First we heard aircraft and then we counted some 14 explosions. Some people used binoculars and saw buildings on fire. Rebels believe some of the depots were destroyed but not all. We are talking about huge facilities.”

Later in the day more airstrikes targeted the depots and rebels headed toward the depots to check the damage, but they were pushed back by Al Qathafi’s forces who fired mortars and artillery at them, forcing them to retreat, the witness said.

Pro-AL Qathafi forces have remained on the outskirts of Zintan, 160 km southwest of Tripoli, from where they have launched attacks on the town, Abdulrahman told the news agency.

Like rebels fighting pro-Gaddafi forces in the city of Misurata, Abdulrahman called for tougher action from NATO.

“They could have for example hit Al Qathafi forces still positioned east of the depots,” he said.

“I assure you I speak in the name of all the people of Zintan – we fear that if he (Al Qathafi) doesn’t leave and NATO stop their operations, he will recapture rebel-held cities. Then massacres will take place,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Libyan rebels reportedly repulsed a government assault on the besieged western port city of Misurata with a resident reporting five people were killed in the fighting.

The pro-government forces have been reported to be using new tactics in their fight against the rebels, that is, by sheltering their armour in civilian areas and disguising their armoured vehicles with bales of hay to cover their launchers.

Misurata is still under siege by the Al Qathafi forces as it has been for weeks, since the first days of the uprising. On Friday the rebels said they were engaged in fierce street battles and managed to push back an assault on the eastern flank of libya’s third largest cities.

Rebels’ spokesman Hassan al-Misrati told Reuters that the attack from regime’s forces was repelled and the Al Qathafi forces were pushed back, but at a cost, it seems, as five people were reportedly killed and 10 others injured.

On Friday, rebels at the western boundary of Ajdabiyah, still reeling from the NATO friendly fire accident, fled from an artillery bombardment, “but there was no sign of a government advance,” NY Times has reported.

With the only active front in the war, along the eastern towns of Brega and Ajdabiyah, the battle has descended into a desultory stalemate with both sides making advances and then retreating behind secure lines.

The newspaper also quoted the head of U.S. Africa Command, General Carter Ham, saying that the conflict was entering stalemate and it was unlikely the rebels would be able to fight their way into Tripoli, as such, NYM said that Western leaders were emphasising a political solution.

In fact, Al Jazeera television quoted NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen taking a similar line, by saying: “There is no military solution only. We need a political solution.”

NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu also spoke of the difficulties facing alliance pilots because of Al Qathafi’s tactics. “The fact is they are using human shields and parking tanks next to mosques and schools so it is very hard to pinpoint any military hardware without causing civilian casualties,” she said.