- Title: LIBYA: Funeral of rebel in Misrata
- Date: 11th June 2011
- Summary: VARIOUS OF MOURNERS PRAYING OVER COFFIN VARIOUS OF MOURNERS CARRYING COFFIN TOWARDS CEMETERY FOR BURIAL CEREMONY MOURNERS BURIED BODY RELATIVE OF LATE REBEL FIGHTER ATTENDING BURIAL CEREMONY MORE OF BURIAL CEREMONY MOURNERS BURIAL CEREMONY
- Embargoed: 26th June 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Libya
- Country: Libya
- Topics: Conflict
- Reuters ID: LVAERCUB4XHLBCKX6G993ERSJDJ2
- Story Text: Rebels in Misrata on Friday (June 10) buried a comrade killed in clashes with pro-Gaddafi forces.
Docters in the town said at least 17 people were killed and 80 wounded on Friday in government shelling deep in the besieged port city. Al-Jazeera reported the death toll at 30.
Clashes also broke out in the town of Zlitan, some 40 km (25 miles) west of Misrata.
"Large numbers of troops are surrounding Zlitan from all directions and are threatening its residents with having their women raped by mercenaries if they do not surrender," Ahmed Bani, military spokesman, told Reuters by phone from Benghazi.
He added that 22 rebels had been killed on Thursday after fighting. Zlitan could act as a stepping stone to allow the anti-Gaddafi uprising to spread from Misrata, the biggest rebel outpost in western Libya, to Gaddafi's stronghold in Tripoli.
Accounts from Zlitan could not be independently verified because reporters have not been given access.
Juma Ibrahim, a rebel spokesman in the western mountain town of Zintan, said Gaddafi's forces had also resumed shelling in the region on Friday and criticised NATO for not doing more.
"We are unaware of any air strikes in the Western Mountains in the last four days," he said. "We don't know why they are ignoring our alerts. We told them of clear military targets that post a clear threat to civilians and they still haven't acted." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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