Live-blog: Libya – Fighting in Tripoli as Rebels Advance

This is a live-blog report on the situation in Libya as clashes break out in Tripoli.

5:51am Sunday (GMT)

After reports of a lull in fighting, more reports of surfaced of increased fighting. It is unclear as to whether Ghaddafi is still in Tripoli or elsewhere.

Al Jazeera reports Bashir Sewehli, a Libyan activist, has informed them that the Souq al-Jomaa neighbourhood in Tripoli is controlled by the opposition.

The following is a Google map of Tripoli, showing reported statuses on various neighborhoods:

Legend:

Green: Fighting (Gaddafi held)
Red: Reported Free (NTC held)
Yellow: Status Unknown/Info

View Free Tripoli – Red Rebel – Green Gaddafi in a larger map

Obviously the situation is very fluid.

12:00am Sunday (GMT) – August 21, 2011

Several minutes ago, apparently a speech by Ghaddafi was broadcast on Libyan state television. CNN’s Ben Wedeman reports that the speech was live and not recorded. Excerpts of the speech have been tweeted, but we are looking for a full transcript, which we will post once we find.

Here is a video report from Al Jazeera with information on the battle in Az Zawiya and Zlitan:

11:33pm Saturday (GMT)

CNN has just reported that Libyan state TV has broadcast a message from Ghaddafi in which he said his forces have “crushed the traitors”.

11:26pm Saturday (GMT)

Al Jazeera reports that the Tunisian News Agency has reported that “Tunisia recognises the National Transitional Council as representative of Libyan people.”

11:11pm Saturday (GMT)

@2011feb17 has posted a picture claiming to be of an SMS text message sent to residents of Tripoli telling them to “eliminate the traitors and step on them by your feet”:

11:00pm Saturday (GMT)

Reuters reports:

Libyan rebels continued to clash with government forces controlling Mitiga airbase in Tripoli, after fighting left an unknown number of insurgents dead in the suburb of Qadah and elsewhere, an opposition activist in Tripoli told Reuters.

“The rebels have surrounded a military airbase called Mitiga in the Tajourah district. The rebels there are telling the brigades that they come in peace to avoid bloodshed. There are areas where electricity has been cut off,” he said.

10:29pm Saturday (GMT)

Video surfaces purportedly showing an Al-Jazeera Arabic correspondent holding up a radio broadcasting an intercepted communication from Ghaddafi forces. We cannot independently confirm.

10:10pm Saturday (GMT)

@2011feb17 shares an interesting photo from Tripoli showing the graffiti war between people pro- and anti-Ghaddafi:

9:45pm Saturday (GMT)

We are monitoring reports from various sources in Tripoli, Libya today, indicating that clashes are occurring in several neighborhoods there.

There are rumours that Ghaddafi and his sons may have already fled.

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim has downplayed the situation, saying that small armed gangs are responsible for the unrest and that the situation is under control.

Here is an interesting eye-witness photo of gazelle standing in what may be the ruins of a compound belonging to Abdullah al-Senussi, the brother-in-law of Ghaddafi.

We will report on developments as the situation unfolds.