LIBYA: Bodies of pro-Gaddafi fighters litter streets near Dehiba crossing point, as rebels say they have regained control of the frontier town on the border between Libya and Tunisia

Record ID: 374787

  • Title: LIBYA: Bodies of pro-Gaddafi fighters litter streets near Dehiba crossing point, as rebels say they have regained control of the frontier town on the border between Libya and Tunisia
  • Date: 30th April 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF REBELS MAKING V-SIGNS, HOLDING WEAPONS MAN FIRING AK-47 INTO THE AIR (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) UNIDENTIFIED REBEL, SURVEYING THE DEBRIS/SCATTERED CLOTHES, SAYING: "These are rats of the tyrant, they wanted to escape to Tunisia. But the rebels of 17th of February are standing up to you Gaddafi. Gaddafi we are coming to get you. Damn you Gaddafi. Your people are hur
  • Embargoed: 15th May 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: War / Fighting
  • Reuters ID: LVA4MWO64GF7Y2VBEQ8U0E75QGAW
  • Story Text: Libyan rebels have regained control of the Dehiba crossing point on the Libyan-Tunisian border from government forces, rebels told Reuters on Friday (April 29).
    Earlier, forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi crossed into neighbouring Tunisia and fought a gun battle with Tunisian troops in the frontier town as Libya's conflict spilt beyond its borders.
    While the Libyan forces were battling in Dehiba, the rebels who are fighting to end more than four decades of Gaddafi's rule announced they had seized back the border post.
    With the bodies of pro-Gaddafi fighters strewn on the streets around Dehiba, rebels were confident their aim of defeating Gaddafi would succeed.
    "Things are perfectly ok, 100 percent. With God's will we will defeat Gaddafi's groups," said one rebel.
    "This is one of their mercenaries. Thank God. We will win with God's will. We will reach Bab Al Azizia with God's will," said another, looking at the body of a dead Gaddafi fighter.
    Rebels seized the post of Dehiba a week ago, as it controls the only road link which their comrades in Libya's Western Mountains have with the outside world, making them rely otherwise on rough tracks for supplies of food, fuel and medicine.
    Khaled al Azzabi, a military spokesman for the rebels, said the the frontier post on Dehiba was now in complete control of the rebels.
    "This area is controlled completely by the rebels. As you can see the flags of freedom and independence are flying at the gate," he said.
    He added that the rebels were determined to push on to Tripoli to rid the country of Muammar Gaddafi: "The rebels are determined to make it to Tripoli to free Libya from this tyrant and his mercenaries. As you can see, they are mercenaries and they have documents. We call on the Tunisian people to support the Libyans and to prevent allowing these mercenaries to come back because they will come back to kill women and children."
    After weeks of advances and retreats by rebel and government forces along the Mediterranean coast, fighting has settled into a pattern of clashes and skirmishes.
    Friday's clashes marked the first time that Libyan government ground forces had crossed the border and entered a Tunisian town.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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