Gaddafi retakes town near Tripoli: Libya TV

Mar 05, 2011 |

TRIPOLI

Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have regained control of Zawiyah, near Tripoli, from rebel hands, state TV reported on Friday.
A local militant politician in the town vehemently denied the report and said opposition forces were still in control of the town.
Mohammed Qassem said in a live interview on Al Jazeera TV, however, that the town was surrounded by pro-Gaddafi forces and three people had been killed by loyalists forces in fighting there on Friday. Later, a Libyan government official said “pockets of resistance” remained in the dormitory town 60 km west of Tripoli. Libya’s Channel One said “the people of Zawiyah and the heads of the popular committees have made Zawiyah safe from the armed terrorist forces”. Channel Two said government forces were in control of most of Zawiyah and that 31 tanks, 19 troop carriers and other weapons had been seized. The reports said the “leader of the terrorist group” in the town, named as Hussein Darbuk, and his deputy had been killed and others captured. Meanwhile, giant Chinook helicopters flew out of Tripoli and lumbered westwards towards Zawiyah, an AFP reporter in the city said.

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