Rebel city vows to fight Gaddafi

Thousands in the coastal town of Tobruk celebrated their freedom from Muammar Gaddafi by waving flags of the old monarchy, honking horns and firing guns in the air around a city square where he once executed people.

Officers in the army units that had defected to the rebellion against Libya’s leader for the past four decades pledged to defend this “liberated territory” with their lives, despite Mr Gaddafi’s threats a day earlier to retake it.

“The army in the east is with all the people,” declared Major Salma Faraj Issa, a top aide to the general commanding the army units from Tobruk. Those units rebelled against Mr Gaddafi after being ordered to open fire on people.

“We’re ready for him if he does attack. We have rocket launchers and other weapons. We know there will be deaths, but we are prepared,” said Maj Issa, a robust woman wearing fatigues, with dyed blond hair and gold eye shadow.

Mr Gaddafi’s hold on the rest of the country slipped further amid an uprising spreading across the Arab world, inspired by the toppling of leaders in neighbouring Egypt and Tunisia.

Cities and towns closer to the capital of Tripoli reportedly fell into the hands of the rebellion against his rule. Two air force pilots ejected from their fighter jet and let it crash in the desert rather than follow orders to bomb and opposition-held city.

In Tripoli, a force of militia roamed the streets to keep demonstrators from gathering.

Maj Issa and her commanding officer arrived in Tobruk with several cars and trucks bursting with uniformed soldiers that came to join the demonstration in the main square. Some fired assault rifles in the air. In the distance could be heard the heavy staccato of a belt-fed machine gun.

The various military units in the east have now unified their command into a single operations room, said Lieutenant Colonel Omar Hamza of an air defence brigade as he watched the demonstrations from the street.

“They are trying to convince the others (army units in the west) to join them,” he said, and were looking for ways to help the people of Tripoli, which many in the town said they had heard were being killed in large numbers.