‘NATO strikes kill civilians in Libya

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 | Posted by Noor

An injured Libyan man (file photo)

Libya’s state TV says North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) strikes have killed civilians and police south of capital Tripoli, the same day France accused NATO of not doing enough to protect Libyan civilians.

“A bombardment by the crusaders’ colonial aggression yesterday struck members of the public security force in charge of organizing road traffic and checking identities,” the Al-Jamahiriya channel said in a written newsflash, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Al-Jamahiriya gave no details on the number of casualties in the Monday attack in Kikla, 100 kilometers south of the capital Tripoli.

“All the security force members as well as a number of children, women and men were martyred in the attack,” the report added.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Tuesday that Libyan civilians remain at risk, despite an ongoing bombing campaign now led by NATO.

NATO is not doing enough to destroy heavy weaponry used by Muammar Gaddafi’s forces in Libya, the French foreign minister added.

“NATO must fully play its role, and it is not doing so sufficiently,” Juppe said, adding that France would bring the matter up with EU ministers on Tuesday and with NATO in Berlin on Thursday.

Fierce fighting for control over the Libyan city of Misrata goes on, as regime forces continue their siege on the city.

The Red Cross has said it will send a team to Misrata to help civilians trapped by fighting, but one of Gaddafi’s ministers has warned that any aid operation involving foreign troops would be seen as a declaration of war.

Pro-Gaddafi forces launched attacks on Libyan revolutionaries, shelling their positions in Ajdabiyah. But the revolutionaries said they repulsed the attacks and have the city under their control.

Meanwhile, the African Union has urged the revolutionaries to “cooperate fully” for the implementation of a lasting political solution in troubled Libya.

The call comes a day after the revolutionary forces rejected a truce plan presented by the AU.

RZS/HRF

source : press tv