Libya: NTC forces close to capturing Sirte

The armed forces of the National Transitional Council (NTC), the legitimate government in Libya at the time, were close to capturing Sirte, one of the last remaining cities supporting the overthrown leader Muammar Gaddafi that was still putting up resistance.

NTC forces tightened their siege of the town from two directions, BBC reported on October 9, but forces loyal to Gaddafi were still fiercely counterattacking from inside the town.

Tanks of anti-Gaddafi forces in Sirte on October 8 - Photo: Reuters

On October 8-10, NTC forces advanced deep into the town and seized several key roads. Western news agencies quoted doctors in the town as saying at least 12 people had been killed and more than 190 injured, with thousands of civilians still trapped inside. Fierce fighting continued on October 8-10 as both sides exchanged artillery fire, missiles, and tank clashes in the town, located 360km southeast of the capital Tripoli.

Anti-Gaddafi forces have gained control of much of Libya over the past two months, while the whereabouts of the ousted leader remain a mystery. He is likely not in Sirte, according to the BBC.

On the morning of October 9th, the tanks and artillery of the NTC forces reached the center of the town, where opposition forces were still holding out. AFP reported that forces loyal to Gaddafi were mainly concentrated in the central square of Ouagadougou and a nearby university. The NTC forces besieging Sirte, deployed from Misrata in the west and Benghazi in the east, encountered fierce resistance. The United Nations, through its representative in Libya, Ian Martin, called on both sides to respect fundamental human rights.

"We received many reports of injuries from sniper fire to the head, neck, and chest," AP quoted Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Tantoun in Sirte as saying. Long lines of vehicles carrying civilians fleeing the conflict queued in front of checkpoints set up by the NTC on roads leading out of Sirte.

According to Tuoi Tre newspaper