Explosions Rock Tripoli Amid Reports of Rebel Advances in Capital

Aug 21: People celebrate the recent news of uprising in Tripoli against Muammar Qaddafi’s regime at the rebel-held town of Benghazi, Libya.

August 21, 2011
AP

Tripoli – Four strong explosions rocked Tripoli early Sunday amid reports that rebels had cut off crucial supply lines to the capital as clashes raged between forces loyal to Col. Muammar Qaddafi and fighters challenging his long rule.

The blasts were heard shortly after 4:00am local time in the heart of the city as NATO warplanes flew overhead, an AFP journalist said. The targets were not immediately identifiable.

The continued fighting followed reports Saturday that rebels had advanced on the capital, with residents telling various news media organizations that they had sighted the fighters in their neighborhoods.

"Around 11:00pm [Saturday], we heard gunfire around the area. We saw snipers on top of buildings. Yes, rebel fighters are on the streets," Tripoli resident, Omar, told Qatar broadcaster Al Jazeera.

Other residents told Sky News that anti-Qaddafi protesters, urged by text messages asking them to join the revolution, had gathered on the streets.

"We can hear shooting in different places," said one. "Most of the regions of the city have gone out, mostly young people.... it's the uprising... They went out after breaking the [Ramadan] fast."

An opposition activist in Tripoli said an unknown number of insurgents had been killed in the suburb of Qadah and elsewhere, news agency Reuters reported.

He said rebels had surrounded a military airbase called Mitiga in the Tajourah district.

Another activist, Bashir Sewehli, told Al Jazeera that rebels had also taken other areas in Tripoli and were awaiting reinforcements.

"The news has not been coming through because of the fighting, but we will know more in the next coming hours. The rebel fighters that I have spoken to said they will not go home until this is over," Sewehli said.

The Libyan government denied that the airbase was at risk of falling into rebel hands and maintained that the capital was safe and stable.

"The situation is under control," government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said, adding that pro-regime volunteers had repelled insurgent attacks in several neighborhoods.

Ibrahim dismissed mounting speculation that the regime was on the brink of collapse, but more gunfire was heard after he spoke on television Saturday, AFP reported.

Meanwhile, for the first time in weeks, Qaddafi spoke to Libyans in an audio address broadcast on state television in the early hours of Sunday.

"I can't understand how Libya is now in this state ... you need to find the people behind this state ... behind this tragedy," the strongman said.

The Libyan leader urged his supporters to "march by the millions" and end the rebellion.

"We have to put an end to this masquerade. You must march by the millions to free the destroyed towns," he said.

Qaddafi said he expected the opposition to claim that his message was prerecorded, adding, "It's Sunday, the 21st of August. Time is 1:37[am] Libya time."

Shortly before dawn, state television showed images of Qaddafi's son, Saif al Islam, addressing a room of supporters, Reuters reported.

"The revolt in Libya will not succeed. You will never see us as Libyans surrender and raise the white flag: that is impossible. This is our country and we will never leave it."