Libya rebels overrun rogue faction

Four dead and six wounded as main opposition army overruns base of rogue branch, and scrambles to dispel rumours. Last Modified: 31 Jul 2011 10:41 Email Print Share Feedback

Mustafa Abdel Jalil, of the Libyan National Transitional Council, has worked to quash rumours of infighting [Reuters] A battle between Libya's main opposition and a rogue faction inside the movement's armed forces has raised fears of infighting caused by the yet unexplained murder of one of its chief commanders. Libya's opposition said on Sunday its forces had overrun the base of a pro-regime faction after five hours of fighting near the opposition stronghold Benghazi, according to spokesman Mahmoud Shamam. Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, reporting from Benghazi, said the battle was launched to subdue elements of Muammar Gaddafi's forces that had been operating as a "fifth column" within the opposition ranks. "According to sources here there is no connection with the attack and the death of [Abdel-Fattah Younes]," said Birtley, who added that documents were found on the defeated faction that linked it to Gaddafi. 'Unity intact' Shamam said fighting broke out early on Sunday and left four dead and six wounded. The main rebel force is now in control of the al-Nidaa Brigade's base on the western outskirts of Benghazi, the de facto capital of Libya's opposition-held east. "It was a long battle and it took many hours because they were heavily armed," he said. "In the end we arrested 31 of them. We lost four people," said Shamam, who added the group of fighters were rounded up for their role in organising a prison break in Benghazi earlier in the week. The fighting followed Thursday's killing of chief rebel commander Younes under mysterious circumstances. Some reports claimed Sunday's clashes pointed sharp rifts within the campaign to unseat Gaddafi nearly six months after the start of the uprising. Al Jazeera's Birtley disagreed: "I'm not sure there are huge divisions, but there are some cracks. The NTC (opposition National Transitional Council) is taking great steps to suggest their unity is intact and they are speaking with one voice." Gaddafi defiant Meanwhile, the Gaddafi regime said on Sunday it was in contact with members of the opposition National Transitional Council (NTC). Click here for more of Al Jazeera's special coverage In the Libyan capital, Tripoli, Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaaim denied rumours of recent contacts with Younes. "He was in contact with the government during his visit in Italy two months ago. Since then we had no contact with him despite [the fact that] we still have contact with other members of NTC but not with Abdel Fattah," Kaaim said. Gaddafi, meanwhile, on Saturday night renewed his pledge "never to abandon"  the battle, in an audio tape on state television despite NATO air strikes earlier that day on the broadcaster's headquarters in Tripoli. Libya's enemies would be "defeated in the face of the resistance and courage of the Libyan people," he said in a speech following the strikes, which Tripoli said killed three journalists. France calls on Libyans   Also on Sunday, France said it was committed to striking Gaddafi's military assets for as long as needed for him to leave power and called on Libyans in Tripoli to rise against him. "We say to Gaddafi that we will not ease our pressure and to his opponents that we will not abandon them," French Defence Minister Gerard Longuet was quoted as saying by the newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche. "Things have to move more in Tripoli ... the population must rise up," he added. With their bombing campaign dragging on unresolved, France and Britain have been forced to accept that Gaddafi may stay in Libya if he quits power under a ceasefire, despite calls for international justice. "We are signed up for the duration and are thereby facilitating a negotiated settlement" between Gaddafi's regime and the opposition forces backed by France and Britain, Longuet said in the interview published on Sunday. =======================================================

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