Gunbattles and Explosions Rock Libya's Capital
VOA News October 14, 2011
Explosions have rocked Tripoli on Friday after gunbattles erupted between loyalists to former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and provisional government fighters.
The clashes broke out after Gadhafi's supporters tried to stage a rally in a neighborhood where he had strong support. Television video has shown plumes of black smoke rising from a section of the capital.
Meanwhile, U.S. specialists who will help the Libyan government track down missing missiles have begun arriving in the country. The U.S. State Department says the first group, which arrived Friday, includes about 14 contractors but the number will eventually rise to 50.
The U.S. specialists will help Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) find surface-to-air missiles that went missing during clashes with Gadhafi's forces. Officials say the weapons pose a security risk.
In another development, provisional government fighters are regrouping in a final attempt to gain control of Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte, one of the few remaining strongholds for his supporters.
The NTC fighters said Friday that pro-Gadhafi forces are cornered in an area of about two square kilometers.
Earlier in the week, the fighters made significant advances in Sirte. They seized the town's police headquarters, gained control of the main hospital and the convention center that Gadhafi loyalists had used as their main base of operation.
NTC officials have said the capture of Sirte will allow them to declare the country liberated, because it will mean the provisional government controls all of Libya's ports and harbors.
Sirte is 360 kilometers east of Libya's capital, Tripoli, and has served as a center of support for Gadhafi. Provisional government forces have been trying to take the town for three weeks.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.
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