Translated: BREAKING comprehensive update from eyewitness cameraman in Misratah today
Posted on March 18, 2011 by Admin
This post is being constantly updated
All times are in Libyan local time GMT +2
18:37 BREAKING Almanara correspondent A comprehensive update from the clashes that occurred in Misratah today from Almanara correspondent. We have translated the entire video which is linked to the last video we posted from Misratah a short while ago.Libyafeb17.com Translation:
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Mawan Al Misrati from Misratah. I was in the battle from from 30 mins ago. I was there for 4 hours. Today Gaddafi’s forces expanded their action in the city. They managed to enter the city but the revos managed to stop them. Some of their vehicles, because they brought in tanks and snipers were cornered and didn’t know to escape. So they started shooting randomly and shelling the buildings and the areas they entered from.
They entered from Benghazi and Tripoli, they also entered from Borwayya which we call the coastal highway. This means they entered from East, West and South. After that, the revos managed to stop the guys coming in from Borwayya area. The tanks managed to reach Al Jazeera area which is 10km away from the centre of the city where two of the tanks were destroyed. After that, the forces coming in from the west retreated to their bases outside the city. We can now hear random bombardments here in the outskirts of Misratah. We are approximately 5km away from the city centre. There was random shelling by the forces after they were cornered and they started shelling houses and residential areas. I was personally present near the People’s Hall where 8 shells landed continuously in less than 5 minutes. They were randomly and thankfully the media and press were with us and they too managed to record these shells landing. The shells were random and lethal. The residents were targeted and some of them died as martyrs at the hands of snipers. We were unable to collect their bodies due to the widespread of snipers and our inability pinpoint their positions due to their use of silencers, so you can’t hear where the shot is coming from or where they are.
After the area near the People’s Hall was bombarded, a residential block was shelled and the 5th and 6th floor were completely destroyed. This apartment block is directly on Tripoli street, we don’t know if people were in their apartments at the time. The revos were unable to go in and check because the bombardment was so vicious and ruthless and random. I can’t describe it. There is no will or power except through God.
After that, a number of snipers were cornered in Benghazi street. Some of them were with personnel carriers and tanks, and the revos managed to destroy one tank after which the rest of the convoy withdrew to an area which is 3km away from the center of the city. Some of the snipers lost the way they came from so headed to the Humanities College where they were cornered. Praise be to God the revos managed to capture a number of them. Thank God, the revos were victorious of them. The sad thing is that these snipers were not Libyan, they were from Africa and were professionally equipped and well trained.
After that 2 personnel carriers entered Abdullah Al Ghareeb Street in an attempt to reclaim and relocate a destroyed personnel carrier in As Souq Al Moghlaq area. They started to shell the houses randomly. The revos tried to stop them but were unable to due to how random the shelling was. Praise be to God though, some revos managed to sneek behind the 2 tanks and disabled one tank but the other one got away. Their aim was to prevent the media from filming the destroyed tank so they can say “We have indeed implemented the ceasefire and are no longer firing”, but they failed miserably. And God willing everything is confirmed with footage and we will be uploading it over the next hour. And may peace be with you all.
Video here:
http://www.libyafeb17.com/2011/03/egypts-military-has-begun-shipping-arms-over-the-border-to-libyan-revolutionaries/