14 years ago

Fighting across Libya intensifies

The Libyan opposition forces and government troops, unable to achieve substantive strategic gains, are locked in a string of battles across Libya amid growing uncertainty about the scale and direction of air power that Western forces are likely to deploy in the country in the coming hours. With the threat of a takeover of Benghazi by government forces removed after Western air strikes earlier blew up the regime's tanks and heavy weapons near the city, Ajdabiyah, a strategically located city 160 km from Benghazi, has become the new frontline. However, in a possible setback to the anti-Qadhafi forces, there has been growing opposition across the globe against the possible use of air power that can cause “regime change”, especially after Baab Aziziya, Mr. Qadhafi's residential compound was attacked on Sunday night. Western forces also targeted two naval installations just outside the city, apparently to degrade the regime's ability to launch sea-borne attacks, similar to the ones it had undertaken earlier to attack the refinery town of Ras Lanuf.

The Hindu

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