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Bombs hit near Gaddafi compound

20 March 2011 04:31 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Bombs have been dropped in close proximity to the headquarters of embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Tripoli, APA reports quoting Press TV.

The bombs went off in the capital early on Sunday as a foreign aircraft flew over the Bab al-Azizia military compound, situated in the southern suburbs of Tripoli.

However, it was not immediately known what targets had been struck, AFP reported.

Meanwhile, the African Union (AU) has asked for an "immediate stop" to all assaults on Libya in the Western-led operation against the North African country.

On Sunday, the AU called on the Gaddafi regime to secure "humanitarian aid to those in need," and the "protection of foreigners, including African expatriates living in Libya."

The AU also drew attention to the need for the "necessary political reforms to eliminate the causes of the present crisis."

Foreign forces launched airstrikes against Libya after officials of a number of countries meeting in Paris on Saturday ordered a large-scale military intervention into Libya in order to end the assaults on civilians launched by Gaddafi’s forces.

Representatives of the United States, Britain, France, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar attended the meeting.

There have been reports that French warplanes have begun firing on Libyan government troops in the eastern city of Benghazi, which is the stronghold of anti-government forces.

The French intervention came after forces loyal to the Libyan ruler began closing in on revolutionaries in eastern Libya, despite a ceasefire declared by Gaddafi on Friday.

In addition, US and British forces fired a barrage of at least 110 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Libya targeting Gaddafi’s air defenses on Saturday. The missiles reportedly struck pro-government forces.

Libyan anti-government forces, inspired by revolutions that toppled authoritarian rulers in neighboring Tunisia and Egypt, are fighting to unseat Gaddafi after suffering under his despotic rule for over 41 years.