http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/05/201157112432539341.html
Gaddafi planes 'destroy Misurata fuel tanks' Gaddafi forces used small planes for the overnight attack in Qasr Ahmed close to Misurata port. Last Modified: 07 May 2011 12:03 Libyan government forces dropped bombs on four large oil storage tanks in the contested western city of Misurata, destroying the tanks and sparking a fire that spread to four more, a rebel spokesman said on Saturday. Government forces used small, pesticides spraying planes for the overnight attack in Qasr Ahmed close to the port, said spokesman Ahmed Hassan. Rebels notified NATO about the planes before the attack but there was no response, he said. Government forces last month flew at least one helicopter reconnaissance mission over Misurata, according to rebels. Misurata is the last remaining city in the west under rebel control. It has been under siege for more than two months and has witnessed some of the war's fiercest fighting between loyalists and rebels. "Four tanks were totally destroyed and huge fire erupted which spread now to the other four. We cannot extinguish it because we do not have the right tools," Ahmed Hassan said. "Now the city will face a major problem. Those were the only source of fuel for the city. These tanks could have kept the city for three months with enough fuel," he added. Helicopter attacks Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, reporting live from Benghazi, said that this attack was very disconcerting for the people of Misurata who rely on the fuel there. "People are raising questions because NATO patrols the skies 24 hours a day," our correspondent said. "This incident, together with the mines in the harbour, are very worrying for the locals." Rebels accuse Gaddafi of using helicopters bearing the Red Cross emblem of dropping mines into Misurata's harbour. NATO confirmed that helicopters had flown over the city on Thursday in breach of the no-fly zone its war planes are supposed to enforce, but it could not confirm that the choppers were marked with the Red Cross sign. Suleiman Fortiya, who represents Misurata on the National Transitional Council, said small helicopters flew over Misurata on Thursday and Friday to drop mines. "They had Red Crescent and Red Cross markers so that anyone who sees them thinks it is for humanitarian aid," Fortiya said. Port mined An aid worker said he saw helicopters on Friday marked with the Red Crescent circling above the port and dropping mines into the sea. A NATO official told AFP a ship involved in the the coalitions' operations had observed a number of helicopters over Misurata on Thursday, which came under fire from rebel forces. "We are aware of reports that the helicopters were marked with the Red Cross," said the NATO official, adding that no humanitarian flights had been notified for the Misurata area on that day. "Any use of the Red Cross to disguise combat forces would be a breach of international law," he said. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tunisia reported that shells fired by Gaddafi forces landed inside Tunisian territory near the town of Dhaiba on the border with Libya. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
