Gadhafi Loyalists in Sirte “ask for truce”

Sirte locals attempt to leave the city

Sirte the hometown of the Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi is one of his last bastions of support. Currently the city is besieged by the interim government and under bombardment from NATO warplanes.

Touhami Zayani, commander of the El-Farouk brigade outside Sirte, informed Reuters that the elder from Muammar Gadhafi’s tribe had asked government forces for a truce. Through a satellite phone the elder asked Zayani for a safe passage for the families and for the militia so they can leave the city.

Zayani later informed that he agreed a truce for families from Gadhafi’s tribe, since they make the majority of Sirte’s population. However he is still negotiating the surrender for armed Gadhafi loyalists. Even with the negotiations underway, there was a large scale fighting on the western side of Sirte where Zayani’s brigade is located this. (AV)