Reply #53: AJ update on fighting going on now at Sirte and Bani Walid: [View All]

[pinboy3niner]

Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid has just been reporting live from Om Gandil, about 90km outside Sirte. She has just spoken to Makhlook al-Tajani, a man identifying himself as a spokesman for the opposition fighters inside Sirte.

Tajani said that western, northern and southern parts of Sirte are already under the control of the opposition. He said tha the situation for civilians inside the city was dire, with no water or electricity, and barely any food. The town has been under blockade from opposition forces over the last two weeks, and Tajani said it had been under siege by pro-Gaddafi forces for several months before that.

The opposition spokesman said that they were confident that Sirte would fall very soon.

The difficulty facing the opposition in Sirte is the eastern flank, on which there are many towns and villages inhabited by Gaddafi supporters.

Meanwhile, in Bani Walid, fighters from Misrata are in the process of carrying out an attack on the city, with some reports suggesting that there are opposition fighters inside the town.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/libya-sep-16-2011-1314