LIBYA: Fighters for Libya's new transitional authorities say they are re-grouping for a renewed offensive on the Gaddafi bastion of Bani Walid

Record ID: 560379

  • Title: LIBYA: Fighters for Libya's new transitional authorities say they are re-grouping for a renewed offensive on the Gaddafi bastion of Bani Walid
  • Date: 18th September 2011
  • Summary: BANI WALID, LIBYA (SEPTEMBER 17, 2011) (REUTERS) LIBYAN FIGHTERS ON ROAD FIGHTER BY PICKUP TRUCK FIGHTER STANDING, GIVING VICTORY SIGN FIGHTER WAITING BY PICKUP TRUCK VARIOUS OF FIGHTERS SITTING ON PICKUP TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIBYAN FIGHTERS SAYING "We are organising our troops and then we are going back to Bani Walid with reinforcements. The front checkpoint said to go into the city, but then we were confronted by snipers. Most of the citizens of Bani Walid have green blood. Not all of them, but a big percentage of them." FIGHTERS ON BACK OF PICKUP TRUCK VARIOUS OF FIGHTERS GIVING VICTORY SIGN VARIOUS OF FIGHTERS DRIVING AWAY FROM BANI WALID VIEW FROM CAR DRIVING TOWARDS BANI WALID ROADSIGN FOR BANI WALID LAST CHECKPOINT BEFORE BANI WALID FIGHTERS AND VEHICLES FIGHTERS SLEEPING ON GROUND FIGHTER STANDING BY PICKUP (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIBYAN FIGHTER SAYING "Resistance is very strong inside the city, but the rebels are moving in more and more day by day, with God's help." VARIOUS OF CHECKPOINT CAR DRIVING UP TO CHECKPOINT FROM DIRECTION OF BANI WALID FIGHTER GIVING VICTORY SIGN VIEW OF CHECKPOINT WITH BANI WALID ON HORIZON
  • Embargoed: 3rd October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Libya
  • Country: Libya
  • Topics: Conflict,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAD1039G4BBCQ5WPQ8S6WVVG79S
  • Story Text: Libyan fighters besieging the Gaddafi stronghold of Bani Walid said on Saturday (September 17) they were re-grouping for a renewed offensive.
    One fighter, in a group pulling back from the last checkpoint before the desert town, said his group had been told to advance into the town but had met stiff resistance from snipers.
    "Most of the citizens of Bani Walid have green blood," he said, referring to the colour symbolic of the ousted regime of Muammar Gaddafi.
    Another fighter, manning the last checkpoint, said Libyan forces were advancing further day by day, despite the resistance.
    Nearly four weeks after the rebel coalition over-ran Gaddafi's capital Tripoli, the reverse at Bani Walid was a blow to the new leadership, which has said a timetable for drawing up a democratic constitution and holding elections will not start until all of Libya's vast territory is "liberated".
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register