Police flee Libyan city of al-Zawiya : witnesses

BEN GUERDANE: Police have fled the Libyan city of al-Zawiya which has since sunk into chaos, witnesses arriving in this Tunisian border town said Monday.

"There have been clashes between supporters and foes of Moamer Kadhafi for the past two days and police fled the town Sunday around noon," said Tunisian witness Omar Dhawadi.

He said that since Sunday, all stores have been closed, a house belonging to Kadhafi was burnt and people stole police cars.

His comments were backed up by a dozen other Tunisians.

Another witness spoke of shooting, burnt houses and no police in sight.

"Libyans are burning everything in sight and they are attacking public buildings. Shots are being fired. There are men with guns. It's hard to tell who is firing : plainclothes police, supporters or opponents of Kadhafi," said another Tunisian, who added that he had seen three bodies.

Earlier Monday, the International Federation for Human Rights (IFHR) said from Paris that several Libyan cities, including Benghazi and Sirte, had fallen to demonstrators opposing Moamer Kadhafi's 41-year rule after army units defected,

It put the death toll since the start of the uprising at 300 to 400.

"Many towns have fallen, particularly on the eastern coast. Soldiers have joined" the uprising against Kadhafi, IFHR head Souhayr Belhassen told AFP, naming opposition hotbed Benghazi and Kadhafi's hometown of Sirte specifically.

She said that the anti-regime protests had resulted in "between 300 and 400 deaths, probably closer to 400". Human Rights Watch earlier cited a death toll of 233.

The Paris-based IFHR said that its information came largely from Libyan human rights organisations.