Protesters control 90 per cent of Libya

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Dubai: Having lost control of the country, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's militiamen are desperately trying to hang on to Sirte, Gaddafi's hometown.

Early yesterday, security forces loyal to Sa'edi, Gaddafi's son, encircled Sirte, blocking the coastal highway and another highway linking Libya's eastern and western regions.


"Tanks and manned armoured vehicles have cut the coastal and the inside road linking east with the west. Sirte is the last stronghold of the man since his tribe lives in the city," Fateh Al Talhouni, member of the revolutionary committee in Misurata told Gulf News.

So far, protesters have claimed control of 90 per cent of Libya, including most of the capital Tripoli and major cities such as Benghazi, Baida, Tobruk, Misurata, Zawiya and Zantan.

http://gulfnews.com/news/region/libya/protesters-control-90-per-cent-of-libya-1.766710

"Fawzy Ignashy, a former soldier now in civilian clothes at the border, said that early during the protests, some commanders ordered troops to fire on protesters, but tribal leaders stepped in and ordered them to stop."