2011-03-27 Anti Gaddafi forces claim Sirte, advance on Tripoli #Libya

The Libyan foreign intervention will pass from the US led force to NATO command, led by Canadian General Charles Bouchard, with the transition completing "within 48 hours".

The anti-Gaddafi forces are once more moving west at a rapid pace, currently claiming to control Sirte, the home of Muammar Gaddafi. Shamsi Abdul Molah, a spokesman for the opposition's National Council, told Al Jazeera that opposition forces had moved into the city at approximately 11.30pm Sunday night. Now AFP is reporting nine powerful explosions heard in Sirte.

Al Jazeera has reported that anti Gaddafi forces are now in control of Bin Jawad, Ras Lanuf, Uqayla, Brega and Ajdabiya, and they say Gaddafi forces are retreating and surrendering each town without a fight. Anti-Gaddafi forces expect a major battle in Tripoli, where Muammar Gaddafi was reported to be Sunday night, since they did not meet with one in Sirte. Fighting broke out again in Misurata, which has been heavily attacked from the air by French and British forces. Air strikes were also reported on Tripoli, Tarhunah, Sabha and Sirte.

UN / NATO air strikes continued in Tripoli Sunday night. Libyan officials said on Sunday that nearly 100 civilians had been killed by foreign forces. "The terror people live in, the fear, the tension is everywhere. And these are civilians who are being terrorised every day," said Mussa Ibrahim, a Libyan government spokesman. "We believe the unnecessary continuation of the air strikes is a plan to put the Libyan government in a weak negotiating position. NATO is prepared to kill people, destroy army training camps and army checkpoints and other locations. ... (Western nations) are starving the Libyan population, (they want) to put Libya on its knees, to beg for mercy. It's a very simple plan. We can see it happening in front of our eyes. They are not trying to protect civilians."

Al Jazeera has posted some extremely upsetting and graphic video from houses that were bombed.

AFP's report on the advance of anti Gaddafi forces below.

Previous WL Central coverage on Libya.