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By Jamal Adel.
Tripoli, 28 January 2014:
There are reports this evening of fighting around the Tamenhint airbase near Sebha between Qaddafi supporters . . .[restrict]and Misrtatan forces that arrived from Jufra district where they have been based for the past few days. Misratan souces have told the Libya Herald that the base has now been liberated but that most of the Qadadfi supporters escaped. There were reports too of air cover being given to the Misratans.
Sources in Sebha, however, told this newspaper that fighting was still continuing and that it was taking place north of Tamenhint, on the Sebha-Hun road.
Attempts to contact Mohammed Al-Busaify, Sebha’s military commander have been unsuccessful.
The airbase was originally seized by Qaddafi supporters and held for the day on 15 January. It was then retaken by them after after Tebu forces from Murzuk who were guarding it withdrew claimed they were being exploited by the authorities. .
It has been suggested that the Qaddafi supporters at the base and elsewhere in the country who surfaced following the airbase takeover were responding to instructions from Saadi Qaddafi in Niger. On Saturday, the Niger government ordered him back to the house in Niamey where he had been held, saying he had violated the house arrest agreement. [/restrict]
