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City of Sirte to be liberated within the week - NTC
Final assault slowed down by street fighting, Gaddafi still at large and liberation is expected within the week according to the National Transition Council.
The National Transitional Council (NTC) have said that national liberation will be declared once Sirte falls even if Gaddafi is not found.
Heavy street fighting is still being observes around Sirte’s city centre and pro-Gaddafi forces have also taken control of the desert enclave of Bani Walid but is not considered important since it does not lead to any exit routes from Libya.
"I do believe, God willing, that the liberation of these cities [Sirte and Bani Walid] will happen within this week," NTC chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil said.
NTC forces launched a “final assault” on Sirte on Friday to push pro-Gaddafi fighters back towards the city centre but were slowed down on Saturday by street fighting in order to take control Gaddafi’s city.
The main hospital, the university and the Ouagadougou conference centre have been captured by NTC.
"We took 50 prisoners. They were mostly mercenaries. They were lying in beds pretending to be wounded. Some were wounded. We found Kalashnikov and other weapons under their beds," NTC field commander Osama Swehli Muttawa said.
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The Libyan civil war is only starting now.
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The rebels are fighting among themselves.
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The Gaddafi supporters will carry out a guerilla war in Libya for years.
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Foreigners entering Libya are being given weapons for protection.
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This is an Afghanistan and an Iraq on our doorstep.
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The USA, EU and NATO have again plunged us into war on our doorstep.
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Not in any way to defend Gaddafi, but this is the reality in Libya.
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They've been saying that for weeks..no doubt that one week or other it will happen. That doesn't mean that peace will follow,the bloodbath will go on and on.The end is not in sight for the libyans regardless of the lies they are being fed.This is a war that did not need to happen and is of the West's making for the sake of oil. It's that whory 'Divide and Rule' principal again,only it won't work..
