20,000 flee from Gaddafi rocket attacks
- AFP
- May 09, 2011
Men's faces are illuminated by the inferno following an attack by Gaddafi forces on Misratah's main fuel depot. Source: AFP
MUAMMAR Gaddafi's troops unleashed a salvo of Grad rockets on towns in Libya's western mountains and destroyed key fuel supplies in a move that could aggravate a desperate humanitarian crisis.
The attacks came as a boat carrying about 500 refugees from Libya ran aground as it neared an Italian port yesterday, forcing many of those on board, including women and children, to jump into the sea.
At least nine rebels were killed and 50 wounded in clashes in the northwestern town of Zintan, as Gaddafi government forces pressed the insurgents on several fronts. The troops shelled fuel depots in Misratah, under siege from government forces, and dropped mines in its harbour, the rebels said as they braced for a fresh ground assault overnight.
The attacks could trigger fuel shortages that would hamper access to electricity and travel.
Helicopters disguised as Red Cross aircraft overflew Misratah at the weekend, dropping mines in the port, the city's only entry for supplies, a rebel leader said.
"It seems the more desperate Gaddafi gets, the more he unleashes his firepower on the people," said Abdul Hafiz Ghoga, vice-chairman of the rebel National Transitional Council.
Intensified shelling struck the besieged port city and western towns near the Tunisian border, according to Mr Ghoga, while government troops attacked the southern oasis towns of Ojla and Jalo, close to oil facilities.
NATO admitted its no-fly zone was violated last week when one of its warships involved spotted a number of helicopters flying over Misratah, which came under fire from rebel forces.
In the western mountains towards the border with Tunisia, Gaddafi forces unleashed a salvo of Grad rockets on Zintan and Wazin, forcing an estimated 20,000 people to flee for shelter across the border, Mr Ghoga said.
The towns were "heavily bombarded by Grad missiles", a rebel information officer said, adding that Gaddafi's troops were "firing randomly" and that overwhelmed rebels had pulled out of Wazin.
"The fighting was too heavy for them," he said.
The refugee boat hit rocks on the approach to the island of Lampedusa in southern Italy, sparking panic among those on board -- most of them migrant workers from sub-Saharan Africa and Asia who had been living in Libya.
Coastguards plucked dozens from the water.
Television images showed chaotic scenes as refugees clung to ropes thrown between the shoreline and the fishing boat.
"There were about 500 people on board. It was a difficult situation. Our patrol boats couldn't come close because of the shallow water," said Antonio Morana, a coastguard spokesman, after the night-time wreck.
Some of the refugees suffered injuries and were in hospital.
AFP
(source:.theaustralian.com.au)
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