Violence in Libya

Thousands of government supporters gathered last night at Martyrs’ Place in the centre of the capital Tripoli following a televised speech by leader Col Muammar al-Gadhafi in which he condemned ongoing anti-government demonstrations across the country –

Gadhafi called on supporters of his regime to attack street protesters and threatened major security operations in the north-eastern cities of Derna (Derna province) and Bayda (Al Jabal al Akhdar province).

Thousands of government supporters gathered last night at Martyrs’ Place in the centre of the capital Tripoli following a televised speech by leader Col Muammar al-Gadhafi in which he condemned ongoing anti-government demonstrations across the country –

Gadhafi called on supporters of his regime to attack street protesters and threatened major security operations in the north-eastern cities of Derna (Derna province) and Bayda (Al Jabal al Akhdar province).

Following Gadhafi’s speech, Interior Minister Gen Abdul Fatah Younis resigned and encouraged the army to side with the anti-regime demonstrators. In a statement on al-Jazeera news network early on 22 February, a group of army officers called on the military to ‘join the people’ and support the removal of Gaddafi.

Violence is continuing across the country– witnesses in Tripoli told Al Jazeera that fighter jets had bombed portions of the city in fresh attacks on Monday night.

Military aircraft and helicopter gunships were also used, they said, to fire on the streets in order to scare demonstrators away.

Eyewitness statements suggest that foreign mercenary units were firing indiscriminately at demonstrators and bystanders in the city, while pro-Gaddafi forces warned people not to leave their homes via loudspeakers mounted on cars.

Residents of the Tajura neighbourhood, east of Tripoli, said that dead bodies are still lying on the streets from earlier violence. At least 61 people were killed in the capital on Monday, witnesses told Al Jazeeera.

The UN Security Council has condemned the bloodshed in Libya that has seen more than 300 people killed – and is calling for an immediate end to the violence after an emergency meeting.

While Navi Pillay, the UN high commissioner for human rights, has warned the widespread attacks against civilians “amount to crimes against humanity”, and called for an international investigation in possible human rights violations and war crimes.

Expatriate employees and their dependants living in Libya are now being evacuated and relocated in a frantic rush to escape the violence in Libya.

Emirates airlines and British Airways have suspended all flights to Tripoli on Tuesday – while countries in the region send aircrafts to evacuate their nationals from the country.

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