Aljazeera reporting


Gaddafi supporters clash with NTC in Tripoli

Gun battle breaks out in Libyan capital between armed supporters of Gaddafi and forces from the NTC

A gun battle has broken out in the Libyan capital Tripoli between supporters of deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi and forces of the National Transitional Council (NTC), a witness and residents have said.

Local residents said a group of armed men had earlier appeared in Abu Salim, a centre of support for Gaddafi, and had begun chanting pro-Gaddafi slogans.

Anti-Gaddafi fighters converged on the Hay Nasr district of the Abu Salim neighbourhood, in pickups mounted with weapons and began setting up checkpoints.

Many opened fire at the buildings on Friday, fearing snipers were inside.

About 20 to 50 armed supporters of Gaddafi exchanged automatic and heavy machine gun fire with the NTC forces, the witness told the Reuters news agency.

Al Jazeera's James Bays, reporting from Tripoli, said he could see smoke over the Abu Salim area in the capital.

"The sound of gunfire and heavy weapons being fired also was heard in the neighbourhood," he said.

Assem al-Bashir, a fighter with Tripoli's Eagle Brigade, said the shooting began after a man was spotted raising the green flag that symbolised Gaddafi's ousted regime.

Booms echoed across the city in the first serious burst of violence in the capital since the NTC forces seized control of the city in late August and forced Gaddafi into hiding.

NTC fighters said fighting had also broken out in the nearby Hadhba neighbourhood.

"Gaddafi told them in a message last night to rise up after Friday prayers," Abdullah, an NTC fighter, said.

"That's why these few people have come out and are causing this problem.

Gaddafi has released a number of audio recordings calling on loyalists to fight the new interim government which ousted him from power when its forces captured Tripoli two months ago.

"I urge all Libyan people to go out and march in their millions in all the squares, in all the cities and villages and oases," he said in one such message earlier this month.

"Go peacefully ,  be courageous, rise up, go to the streets, raise our green flags to the skies."
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/10/2011101414312833767.html

Wow, this is strange.

no freedom of assembly i guess. Sure they were armed, but if they were not armed they would have been killed or detained for being loyalists.

Looking like just the beginning of the libyan war.

Like a wild wild west it is, with weapons and ammo aplenty.

makes it quite easy for disgruntled loyalist to settle old scores

Like a wild wild west it is, with weapons and ammo aplenty.

It's going to turn into angola. Once again, africa is powerless to stop it.

Libya, one of North Africa's peaceful nations is gradually turning into Iraq, Afghanistan. For everybody who supported NATO intervention in Libya, kindly clap your hands in celebration of the war that has claimed more than 100,000 lives. Ghadaffi this, Ghadaffi that. His soldiers were in an armed battle that killed 200 people but he controlled the situation. The NTC's in charge of Libya but Libya is gradually tearing apart.

The NTC's in charge of Libya but Libya is gradually tearing apart.

The NTC is recognized as being in charge because they are the shell govt setup by the imperialists.

Various articles from various newspapers at various times have all interviewed people from the "revolutionary forces" who say they dont recognize the NTC as the leaders.