SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Coalition forces 'strafe Libyan towns'

Coalition forces have strafed positions held by troops loyal to Libyan leader Gaddafi east and southwest of Tripoli, state television says.

Libya_Car_Window_020411_B_AAP_267865333

2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AFP


Skip to article content

Coalition forces have strafed positions held by troops loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi east and southwest of Tripoli, state television says, amid reports seven civilians were killed in earlier NATO airstrikes.

"Military and civilian areas in the Al Khums and Al Rojban regions were targeted in raids by the Western assailants, crusaders and colonialists," Libyan state television said late on Friday.

A resident of Al Khums, about 120km east of the capital, told Agence France-Presse he heard explosions coming from a local naval base, which had been bombed by coalition forces earlier.

Al Rojban is southwest of Tripoli and several towns in the mountainous area are controlled by rebel forces.

Residents last week reported "very intense" attacks by forces loyal to Gaddafi.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Earlier, seven civilians - including three girls from the same family - were reported to have been killed in a NATO air strike when planes targeted a convoy in the eastern village of Zawia al-Argobe.

Shrapnel was sprayed into nearby houses after a truck carrying ammunition was hit, according to the BBC.

However, local doctors said the girls' family bore "no anger" towards coalition forces because there would have been a "massacre" if tanks had reached nearby Ajdabiya.

NATO said it was still trying to verify the reports.

Forces loyal to Gaddafi on Friday attacked the rebel-held city of Misrata with tanks and rocket fire, a rebel spokesman said.

"The criminal's (Gaddafi's) forces fired at the city with all

kinds of shells, rockets and bombs," he said, denouncing "a disproportionate use of force".

He said 28 people had died in three days of fighting and dozens had been wounded including residents of other African countries.

"Today they tried to reach the port, destroying everything on their path," he added, possibly to stop outside aid from reaching the beleaguered city.

The Libyan foreign ministry said on Monday that an anti-rebel offensive in Misrata had been stopped after security was restored.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world