Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Airstrikes slow Gadhafi's forces


AJDABIYA, Libya — The road to this city that has been a battle between rebels and government forces is strewn with burned wreckage of military vehicles and numerous unexploded munitions. And dozens of charred bodies.

"The airstrike plan was very perfect for us," said Yasser Hassel, 33, a rebel fighter.

"We trapped them. Their support lines are cut," he said on the road to Ajdabiya. "The French struck accurately, and there were no civilian casualties. Our plan now is to wait for airstrikes against those tanks."

The rebellion against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi was almost at an end last week when his forces had reached this city. Just 100 miles south of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, soldiers loyal to Gadhafi and the foreign soldiers paid to fight for him had chased off the rebels in Ajdabiya and were ready to move north.

The weekend airstrikes by France, Britain and the United States have stopped the advance here. But they have not vanquished the pro-Gadhafi forces.

They remain outside the city and holed up inside it as well. When rebels who had retreated to Benghazi rushed out to take the town after the airstrikes they were met with mortar and tank fire from the remaining government forces.

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http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-03-23-libyafront23_ST_N.htm?csp=34news

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