Libyan rebels face new setback after refinery hit | World News - Hindustan Times
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Libyan rebels face new setback after refinery hit

Reuters | By, Misrata
Jun 15, 2011 12:36 AM IST

Libyan rebels faced new obstacles in their campaign to march on Tripoli after shelling from Muammar Gaddafi's forces damaged an oil refinery in the insurgent stronghold of Misrata disrupting fuel supply lines.

Libyan rebels faced new obstacles in their campaign to march on Tripoli after shelling from Muammar Gaddafi's forces damaged an oil refinery in the insurgent stronghold of Misrata disrupting fuel supply lines.

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A Reuters photographer in Misrata joined rebel units as they pushed their front several kilometres west on Monday to the outskirts of Zlitan a town controlled by Gaddafi's forces.

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Any fighting over Zlitan would bring the rebellion closer to the capital Tripoli the Libyan leader's stronghold which lies 200km west of Misrata. A doctor in a field hospital to the west of Libya's third largest city said two rebels had been killed and a dozen wounded after the two sides traded heavy artillery fire.

Rebels from Misrata say tribal sensitivities prevent them from attacking Zlitan and they are instead waiting for local inhabitants to rise up.

Late on Monday, six rockets hit generators at the refinery near Misrata port leaving them heavily damaged. An engineer on site said it was unclear how long it would take to repair.

Nato said it struck an armoured vehicle armed with anti-aircraft guns east of Tripoli on Tuesday as well as a multiple rocket launcher and another anti-aircraft system.

A Nato statement said the alliance also struck an armed pickup truck a tank a multiple rocket launcher and an armoured vehicle in Misrata on Monday night. "These types of equipment have been used to indiscriminately target the civilian population throughout Libya" commander of Nato mission Lti-Gen Charles Bouchard said.

"Nato will maintain the pressure on the Gaddafi regime and continue to take action to protect civilians wherever they are under threat of attack."

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