Explosions rocked central Tripoli for the second night in a row and Britain said weeks of Nato bombardment had inflicted extensive damage on Muammar Qadhafi's heavily-fortified compound. Libya's leader is clinging to power despite a four-month-old Nato air campaign and a lengthening conflict with rebels seeking an end to his 41-year rule and who have seized large swathes of the North African country.
The explosions hit Tripoli at about 1 am on Sunday, a day after Nato launched strikes on what it said was a military command site in Tripoli. Major General Nick Pope, chief of the defence staff's communications officer, said Royal Air Force aircraft struck the high perimeter walls of Qadhafi's Bab al-Aziziyah complex.
"Qadhafi has for decades hidden from the Libyan people behind these walls. The vast Bab al-Aziziyah compound is not just his personal residence, but more importantly is also the main headquarters for his regime, with command and control facilities and an army barracks," Pope said on Sunday. "Successive Nato strikes in past weeks have inflicted extensive damage on the military facilities within."
As the war drags on longer than many had initially envisaged, the West is increasingly hoping for a negotiated end.
Qadhafi's foreign minister, Abdelati Obeidi, left Cairo on Sunday after a three-day visit without making any comments. "Obeidi met with a number of Egyptian officials and personalities to discuss the latest developments in Libya and ways to resolve the crisis in peaceful ways," a Libyan embassy official said without giving details. He was headed for Tunis.
Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said on Friday Libyan representatives were ready to hold more talks with the United States and the rebels, but Qadhafi would not quit.
Ibrahim said senior Libyan officials had a "productive dialogue" with US counterparts last week in a rare meeting that followed US recognition of the rebel government. "We believe other meetings in the future will help solve Libyan problems," Ibrahim told reporters in Tripoli. "We are willing to talk to the Americans more."
On the cusp of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, poorly armed rebels seem unlikely to quickly unseat Qadhafi. The rebels declared advances this week but they also suffered losses near Misrata and in fighting for Brega.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.