Source: Russia Today
The besieged Libyan city of Bani Walid has been plunged into chaos. RT sources say that the former Gaddafi regime stronghold is under attack by militias bolstered by foreign mercenaries, and they used banned weapons like white phosphorous.
The sources denied reports of the last few days that
Bani Walid was retaken by the Libyan government. Residents said that militia
forces have continued their assault, while preventing the refugees who fled
from reentering the city.
A man who claimed his relatives are trapped inside the
besieged city spoke with RT, saying, “There is no food; there is nothing to
support the life of people. And the militia does not allow anyone to come back
to their homes.”
“They are demolishing homes with machinery and tanks.
There is no communication or internet so people are not able to connect with
each other,” the source said. He is currently in Egypt, and refuses to
reveal his identity over fears of personal safety.
He believes the real reason for the inoperable
communications is that many people have been killed inside Bani Walid by the forces
besieging the city and now they are trying to prevent information about the
killings to be leaked outside.
The militia attackers have claimed they are battling
‘pro-Gaddafi’ forces, but the source slammed that motive as a “lie and a
dirty game.”
“They use foreign snipers, I think from Qatar or Turkey,
with Qatar covering all the costs,” he said. He claimed that a ship with weapons and
other equipment recently docked in the port city of Misrata, where the assault
on Bani Walid is allegedly being directed.
“There is no government in Libya. Groups of militia
control everything. They don’t care about Libya, they don’t care about the
nation,” he said, adding allegations that the majority of militia fighters have dual
citizenship or passports from other countries.
“We ask the envoy [Special Representative] of the
Secretary-General of the United Nations [for Libya] Mr. Tarik Mitri – where is
he now?” he said. “Where is the United Nations? Where is the EU? Where is the
Human Rights Watch? We ask for an intervention now as soon as possible –
please!”
In an October 23 UN session, the US blocked a statement
on the violence in Bani Walid drafted by Russia, which condemned the ongoing
conflict in the city and calling for a peaceful resolution.
RT Photo from
Bani Walid. RT source. The photo could not be independently verified.
Witnesses claim militia used chemical weapons in Bani Walid
“I can confirm that pro-government militias used
internationally prohibited weapons. They used phosphorus bombs and nerve gas.
We have documented all this in videos, we recorded the missiles they used and
the white phosphorus raining down from these missiles,” Bani Walid-based
activist and lawyer Afaf Yusef told RT.
“Many people died without being wounded or shot, they
died as a result of gases. The whole world needs to see who they are targeting.
Are they really Gaddafi's men? Are the children, women and old men killed –
Gaddafi's men?” Yusef said.
The forces attacking Bani Walid have been ordered to use
“all means necessary” in their assault on the city, RT’s Paula Slier reported.
“To all parasites and leaches, a message to all of them
across Libya, wherever they are: Whoever you are, however strong you are, and
whoever your back is – the revolution should win,” a militant said in the
TV report
RT Photo from
Bani Walid. RT source. The photo could not be independently verified.
‘Militias using planes and chemical weapons in Bani Walid’
People inside Bani Walid are saying that chemical
weapons and airplanes were used in the attack on the town, which has left
houses burnt and looted as residents fled the city, Libyan activist Ali
Altakasih told RT.
“I was sent a report that was issued by the local
hospital in Bani Walid in which they also claim that the militia had used chemical
weapons,”he said, adding that he believes the militias have “no principles”
and the government has no control over them so they will use whatever weapons
they have at their disposal without hesitation.
“They also used planes to bomb the city and there was a
report yesterday showing a plane over Bani Walid,” he said. “I was told
by cousins and friends that planes were also used to bomb the city, chemical
weapons were also used on Bani Walid, killing people inside the city.”
RT was unable to verify these claims by Ali Altakasih,
spokesman for the Werfallah tribe which supported Gaddafi, of whether chemical
weapons have been used or not. But he insists that if a fact-finding mission is
sent to Bani Walid it would easily gather evidence and proof of unconventional
weapons being used against civilians.
As the West is turning its back on Libyans and letting
militias do whatever they want, Altakasih is urging the international community
– particularly Russia and China – to interfere to stop these militias.
“I think the West is turning their back on Libyans and
letting these militias do whatever they want to the Libyans,” he said. “They
either kill them or torture them, no-one in the West is even criticizing these
militias, so Libya is left alone at the moment. We urge Russia and we urge
China and we urge the rest of the world to interfere and stop these militias
because what they did so far is only kill civilians, many civilians, children
were killed, and houses are being burnt.”
The people who are trying to return to the city are being
stopped by militias, Altakasih confirmed, adding that there is still
communication inside the city which makes it hard to verify what is happening
on the ground. The images coming from the city now are very gloomy with people afraid
to leave their homes and militias burning and looting houses.
“Any house that looks of great importance to the militias
is either burnt or robbed,” Altakasih said. “There are people who are
trapped inside the city who cannot leave the city, either for fear of the
militia or fear of leaving their belongings inside the city.”
The conflict in Bani Walid is not really a political one
but rather tribal as Misrata militias are trying to take control of the whole
of Libya and exterminate any opposition, especially inside the former Gaddafi
stronghold.
“To be honest this conflict is tribal in nature because
the militia is mainly from Misrata supported by other militias from other
cities nearby Misrata, because of the conflict that took place between two
tribes 92 years ago,” Altakasih explained. “In this conflict one of the
Misrata tribes or leaders was killed when he attacked Bani Walid.”
Looming humanitarian catastrophe in Bani Walid
The humanitarian situation outside Bani Walid is
reportedly nearly as dire as that within the besieged city. Those who managed
to flee the violence now find themselves stranded on the desert roads outside
the city.
Thousands of Bani Walid residents have reportedly tried
to reenter the city, but were stopped at makeshift militia checkpoints composed
of pickup trucks armed with mounted machine-guns.
“Look at the people over there, they got a gun and
they’re shooting at people with it,” a Bani Walid resident said, pointing in the
direction of a checkpoint. He claimed that those who fled the city had been
forced to stay in the desert for more than a week.
“Where is the government?” he said
Photo from Bani
Walid. RT source. The photo could not be independently verified
Photo from Bani
Walid. RT source. The photo could not be independently verified.
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