Rebels circle Abu Salim, Gaddafi loyalists’ last stronghold
As the hunt for Colonel Gaddafi continues, Chief Correspondent Alex Thomson watches Libya’s rebels close in on Abu Salim, the last district in Tripoli held by forces loyal to the despot.
Clashes have broken out in the Abu Salim neighbourhood of the capital next to Gaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziya compound, the physical and symbolic bastion of his 42 years in power, which rebels stormed and captured on Tuesday.
Alex Thomson has been looking on as the rebels gather en masse to conquer what they see as the final part of the Tripoli jigsaw.
He writes:
They say it is the final push to take Tripoli.
I’m standing next to the biggest group of fighters I have seen together in this war. We’re on the coastal ring road and a seven-tonne truck is being loaded with boxes of ammunition. In front of me the fighters are singing and chanting as they prepare for the battle of Abu Salim – the last district held by Colonel Gaddafi’s forces.
As ever, it is a mixture of civilian cars, Toyota land cruisers and flatbeds modified to take a variety of armoury welded on to them, including anti-aircraft hardware and heavy machine guns.
All the fighters themselves are armed with Kalashnikovs and there’s the occasional recoiled rifle and even one multi-rocket launch system. So they are forming up to travel up from here to the Abu Salim district known to the wider world as the place where the Rixos hotel is, where a number of journalists recently had an enforced stay at the hospitality of the Colonel’s guards.
The morale of these young men cannot be higher. As ever, amongst their number is the usual contingent of student fighter fighters from Manchester, including Mohammad, who is currently taking a break from his studies in mechanical engineering.
NTC discussions
Meanwhile, delegates from the National Transitional Council are continuing to hold talks with international leaders about releasing frozen funds to aid humanitarian efforts in Libya and plan for a post-Gaddafi future.
And following a meeting of the Government’s National Security Council on Libya, Foreign Secretary William Hague said:“We are highly active in seeking the unfreezing of Libyan state assets to assist with the immediate humanitarian situation in Libya. We are supporting the efforts of the United States to unfreeze $1.5bn (£900m) of assets held in the US”.
Mr Hague also backed the Arab League’s decision to recognise the NTC as the sole legitimate government of Libya.
“I’m pleased that 14 nations since Monday have agreed to do so…and I strongly welcome the statement of the sec general of the Arab league saying that the NTC can take the seat of Libya at their forthcoming meeting,” he said.
Mr Hague added: “Our resolve is unwavering on this, as it has been throughout the crisis, so it’s important to stress that these operations go on.
“The Gaddafi regime is finished – there is no way back for the Gaddafi regime and clearly many of its key members are on the run. But there remain forces active loyal to the Gaddafi regime, concentrated particularly in the south of Tripoli and around the city of Sirte.”
Bets on Sirte or Sabah as Gaddafi’s location
The whereabouts of Gaddafi and his inner circle remain unknown two days after rebels stormed and captured his Bab al-Aziziya compound in the south of the capital.
However, Ahmed Omar Bani, the NTC’s military spokesman, said they are now holding negotiations with the pro-Gaddafi forces in Sirte.
“Now I think he is running between Sirte and Sabah. He is somewhere around Sirte or Sabah, I think. And we will capture him anyway. We will take him directly to the court of course,” said Mr Bani.
Rebels are approaching Sirte, Gaddafi’s home town, from two sides and are hoping to negotiate the surrender of its defenders. But the rebels say Gaddafi’s hardcore loyalists in the town 450km (280 miles) east of Tripoli have vowed to fight to the death.
The NTC says has offered a large bounty for the capture of Gaddafi, who has ruled lived Libya for 42 years.
“The end will only come when he’s captured, dead or alive,” said Mustafa Abdel Jalil, head of the NTC. Rebels have offered amnesty to any of Gaddafi’s entourage who kill him and announced a reward of around £800,000 – put up by Benghazi businessman – for his capture.
LIVE BLOG: Manhunt for Gaddafi
