Libya's NTC: Gadhafi-Backers Cornered in Sirte
VOA News October 10, 2011
Libya's transitional government forces said Monday they have Moammar Gadhafi's loyalist fighters cornered in the former leader's hometown, Sirte.
But reports of fierce clashes continue. On Sunday, the head of Libya's provisional government said he expects the last of Gadhafi's strongholds to fall within the week.
National Transitional Council chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil said anti-Gadhafi fighters have made huge gains in Sirte and Bani Walid, southeast of the capital.
In Sirte, NTC fighters say they control convention center buildings that Gadhafi loyalists had used as their main base of operation. They also claim to have seized Sirte's main hospital and university, after launching an assault on the city in recent days.
More than 30 NTC fighters have been killed in the three days of fighting, with more than 400 others wounded. The number of loyalist casualties was not known.
NTC officials say the capture of Sirte will allow them to declare the country liberated, because it will mean the provisional government controls all of the country's ports and harbors.
Sirte is 360 kilometers east of Libya's capital, Tripoli, and has served as a center of support for Gadhafi. Anti-Gadhafi fighters have been trying to move into the city for three weeks.
Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
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