Reports of warplanes bombing protesters in Tripoli

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/22/3144965.htm


Reports of warplanes bombing protesters in Tripoli

Updated 28 minutes ago

PreviousNextSlideshow: Photo 1 of 3
Protesters climb poles during a gathering of anti-government protesters in Benghazi.

Protesters climb poles during a gathering of anti-government protesters in Benghazi. (APTN)



There are reports from Libya that warplanes have begun indiscriminate bombing across the capital, leaving scores dead, as long-time leader Moamar Gaddafi clings to power.

There is chaos in Tripoli where buildings have been set alight and residents have described a massacre in the Tajura and Fashlum districts.

Protesters have reportedly taken control of several cities in the country's east and Mr Gaddafi's regime appears to be crumbling as senior officials desert their posts.

A man calling himself a Libyan resident told Al Jazeera television that warplanes and helicopters have begun bombing one area of Tripoli after another and there are "many, many dead".

"Every 20 minutes they are bombing" he said.

"Our people are dying. Anyone who moves, even if they are in their car they will hit you."

There are also reports helicopters carrying African mercenaries have landed in the streets of Tripoli and have begun firing on residents.

Libyan authorities are refusing foreign journalists entry to the country and phone connections are down so it is difficult to verify the reports.

Two Libyan Air Force fighter pilots defected and flew their jets to Malta where they told authorities they had been ordered to bomb protesters, Maltese government officials said.

They said the two pilots, both colonels, took off from a base near Tripoli. One of them has requested political asylum.

Massacre in Tripoli

The BBC spoke to a man in Tripoli who says residents are being shot and killed indiscriminately.

"There are mercenaries coming from all over the world. I've seen some white people killing, I've seen some black people killing people all over the streets," he said.

He said there are fighter jets being used against the protesters.

"Fighter jets ... people are going to take people to cemeteries and they started killing them out in the street," he said.

"Then fighter jets are going down, yes. They are firing on people."

Residents have described "a massacre" in the Tajura and Fashlum districts of the Libyan capital, with indiscriminate shooting.

"What happened today in Tajura was a massacre," one resident of the district said.

"Armed men were firing indiscriminately. There are even women among the dead," adding that mosque loudspeakers were putting out appeals for help.

Human Rights Watch says at least 235 people have been killed since last Thursday and hospitals are reportedly struggling to cope with the number of casualties.

Gaddafi rumours

Mr Gaddafi's 42 years of iron rule of Libya is under threat of collapse and the country's deputy foreign minister has denied reports Mr Gaddafi has fled to Venezuela

"This news is groundless. It has no basis," Khalid Kayem said on state television.

Senior members of Libya's government have now started deserting the regime.

Libya's deputy ambassador to the UN has condemned what he describes as genocide by Mr Gaddafi's forces against his own people.

Ibrahim Omar al-Dabbashi has urged the UN to impose a no-fly zone over Tripoli and for intervention to protect the Libyan people.

He has also called on the International Criminal Court to investigate what he says are war crimes.

The country's justice minister has also quit his post because of the excessive use of violence.

At least two of the North African nation's main tribes have pledged their allegiance to the protesters.

The US State Department has ordered all non-essential staff out of Libya.

Offering a blunt assessment of the deteriorating security situation in Libya, the State Department says violent clashes between protesters and security forces could last for several days.

US citizens staying in Libya are advised to exercise extreme caution, limit travel after dark and make preparations for shelter.

The world oil price is spiking as the bloodshed worsens in Africa's major oil producer.

BP chief executive Robert Dudley told AM the company is prepared to withdraw its foreign staff from the region.

"We don't have the basis of doing that yet. We haven't ruled out withdrawing, we haven't ruled out staying on either," he said.

"We'll watch it very, very carefully as any business will right now."

- ABC/wires