Qaddafi supporters heading to Ajilat killed in Sabratha: report

By Ashraf Abdul Wahab.

Tripoli, 22 January 2014:

Five men, allegedly Qaddafi supporters, were reported killed in a firefight this morning in Sabratha when they and the group they were with were discovered by local security forces. The group are said to have been heading to Ajilat.   

According to an army source in the Sabratha, seven others were caught and arrested.

It has not been disclosed where the group came from or how many men were in it, other than “a lot”, according to the source .  The rest managed to escape.

The source told the Libya Herald that the fighters were caught moving through the town just before 5am. The gun battle lasted over two and a half hours. 

On Saturday, when the Tamenhint airbase near Sebha was taken over by Qaddafi supporters, other pro-Qaddafi elements came out in Ajilat with green flags and pictures of the former dictator. They were confronted by local military council but it was unable to contain the situation and asked for support.

Yesterday, forces from Zintan arrived and after heavy fighting managed to gain the upper hand. 

It is claimed that the group heading through Sabratha this morning were heading to Ajilat to help the beleaguered Qaddafi sympathisers there.

It is not clear yet if what happened at the Tamenhint airbase and in Ajilat, together with the various other appearances of Qaddafi symathisers with green flags in the past few days, are part of a coordinated movement. If so, it does not appear to be well organised, let alone have any significant or measurable support.