Libyan rebels take control of Sabha city

Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) said on September 21 that rebels had taken control of the city of Sabha, a government holding area, 750 km south of the capital Tripoli.

Rebels with Libya's new flag. Photo: Reuters.

NTC forces control most areas in Sabha city, a spokesman for the NTC military ministry said. Gaddafi loyalists are still fiercely resisting on the outskirts of al-Manshya district, but the NTC insists they will soon capture the district.

On September 20, the NTC captured 150 government soldiers. The airport and the stronghold in Sabha were all in the hands of the NTC.

Sabha is a region of part of the Sahara desert with a population of 100,000. Many of the people in Sabha are mercenaries of Colonel Gaddafi's forces.

At the United Nations General Assembly in New York (September 20), UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called on the international community to support Libya in re-establishing a democratic state. At the same time, he hoped that Libyan factions would join the peace process for this North African country that has been through six months of war.

US President Barack Obama also called on forces loyal to Gaddafi to surrender and rebuild Libya peacefully. Also at the congress, the new Libyan flag appeared for the first time.

(According to Tien Phong)