Thousands of Tripoli visitors to be evacuated

THOUSANDS of foreigners trapped in Tripoli by rebel advances that have cut off the capital will be evacuated in a massive international rescue, probably by sea, an international body said.

After months of stalemate, rebels have transformed the battlefield this week by seizing Zawiyah, west of the capital, and cutting Tripoli off from the outside world, putting unprecedented pressure on dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s 41-year rule.

NATO war planes pounded targets in the capital overnight. Libyan officials brought journalists to a residential district where a compound of several large buildings was blasted to pieces. Neighbours said it belonged to Abdullah al-Senussi, Gaddafi’s brother-in-law and head of intelligence.

In another sign the fighting is hitting closer to Gaddafi’s inner circle, the brother of the spokesman who has served as the leader’s public face was reported killed in a front line city. The government blamed NATO attack helicopters.

East of the capital rebels launched an assault but suffered heavy casualties.

A spokeswoman for the International Organisation for Migration, Jemini Pandya, said the operation to rescue thousands of Egyptians and other foreigners trapped in Tripoli by the latest fighting would begin within days.

“We are looking at all options available, but it will probably have to be by sea,” she told a Geneva news conference.

More than 600,000 of an estimated 1.5 million to 2.5 million foreigners, mostly Asian and African migrant workers, have escaped from Libya during six months of fighting.

However, thousands remained in Tripoli, which until this week was far from fighting and a safe two-hour drive from the Tunisian border.

Rebels and Gaddafi loyalists held negotiations this week in a Tunisian resort, but the 69-year-old leader has so far shown no sign of willingness to quit.