Reply #3: Nafusa Mountain News

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Rebels battle Gadhafi forces in Libyan mountains
From Nic Robertson, CNN
May 21, 2011 -- Updated 1300 GMT (2100 HKT)

Zintan, Libya (CNN) -- Over the past two days, Moammar Gadhafi's forces have unleashed their biggest attack yet against one of the mountainous rebel strongholds in western Libya, according to one of his former generals.

Haji Usama, as he is known to the rebels, was once a top commander in Gadhafi's forces. He spent decades in the Libyan army including a tour of duty in neighboring Chad, and now commands in Zintan, population 40,000.

Today, he hates that his former commander in chief regards him as a terrorist.

Haji Usama says that early Thursday morning about 150 of Gadhafi's infantry troops -- supported by about 40 vehicles, including long range "Grad" rocket launchers and heavy, long-range machine guns -- began an attack on three fronts near Zintan.

more...
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/05/21/libya.zintan/

Nic Robertson arrived in the area yesterday. He posted this series of tweets on the journey.

NicRobertsonCNN
Out and about in Djerba: cafes busy but hard to find Tunisians who watched Obama speech; implies little of value in it for them
19 Mai

Within 15 minutes of crossing in to rebel-held western mountains in Libya fighters here ask where is NATO?
Rebel Fighters in western mountains #Libya show us weapons they say captured from Gadhafi forces - not many, much of it old
20 Mai
Gadhafi forces shelling mountain tops that rebels use to control the roads in valleys
Rebels say Gadhafi forces using grad rockets, 23mm heavy machine gun and 81mm mortar to try to take back Dehibat border crossing
Shelling at Dehibat crossing on Tunisian-Libyan border, Tunisian Army soldiers a bit tense
Gadhafi forces unleash biggest attack yet agnst rebel stronghold in Libya's W mountains, top rebel commander says http://tiny.cc/u59xs

Drive here from Tunisian border uneventful, thru rebel-held territory in barren mountainside.Rebel fighters say abt 40000 people in Zintan
Zintan itself quiet but can hear the shelling few kilometers away
In Zintan, can see smoke rising from shells landing abt five kilomaters away, rebels say Gadhafi forces attacking nearby village
vor 21 Stunden

Yefren:
Crickets and RT's all day.

Late Friday night there was this request:
URGENT: Action Required in Nafusa Mountains Yefren and Al Qala
von Libyan Youth Movement, Freitag, 20. Mai 2011 um 15:37

http://goo.gl/XAhld

We all know the Yefren has been under siege, with nearly constant shell and missile fire, foul water and little food. The FB posting includes these lines:
"3. In one battle on the 10th of May in Saffeet district in AlGalaa, freedom fighters found a telephone of one of the killed officers and a telephone call tells that these two towns have to be wiped out."

Latest update from Nafusa reposted:
LPC #Jadu: Update of events in Wazin, Nalut, Jadu, Rujban, Yefren, Zentan, Qalaa & Riyayna
http://audioboo.fm/boos/362328-lpc-jadu-update-of-events-in-wazin-nalut-jadu-rujban-yefren-zentan-qalaa-riyayna-libya-feb17

LPC #Jadu: Besieged cities of Kiklah, Qalaa & Yefren are in critical need of humanitarian aid (cont)
http://audioboo.fm/boos/362339-lpc-jadu-besieged-cities-of-kiklah-qalaa-yefren-are-in-critical-need-of-humanitarian-aid-cont-libya

or here:
May 20 2011, 10:10 pm: report from Nafusa Mountains, Libya, recorded live on Libya Alhurra.
http://youtu.be/PS7-N54GHn0