War in Libya to end soon
TRIPOLI. October 10. KAZINFORM As its forces fiercely attacked fallen Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's last two bastions, Sirte and Bani Walid, the interim government claimed Sunday the fighting could end next week; Kazinform refers to China Daily.
The head of the National Transitional Council (NTC) Mustafa Abdel-Jalil said the battles in Bani Walid, some 180 km south of the capital, had entered its "last phase," with fighters laying siege to the town from all sides.
An NTC commander in the region said the same day NTC fighters had taken over Bani Walid's airport, which has been a stumbling block for the attackers due to its difficult geography.
Jalil also confirmed the NTC's unremitting assaults on Gaddafi's hometown, Sirte, about 450 km east of Tripoli.
The fight has been a bloody one with the local hospital saying Saturday at least 18 people were killed and about 300 wounded in two days since October 7.
After seizing a key road Saturday, the NTC made further major progress Sunday by taking control of the Ouagadougou conference center in downtown Sirte, a focus of heavy fighting in recent days, and a hospital and a university at the main entrance to southeastern Sirte.
Jalil said the fighters were still trying to root out pockets of Gaddafi loyalists and the many snipers, who are reportedly shooting indiscriminately at anything that moves on the street.
Meanwhile, the United States and its NATO allies were considering an end to its six-month bombing campaign that has backed the successful rebel push against Gaddafi; Kazinform cites China Daily.
To learn more go to www.chinadaily.com.cn