Shot dead

Libyan rebels say their military leader was shot dead in an incident that may point to divisions within the forces opposed to the rule of strongman Moammar Gadhafi.

Abdel Fattah Younes, who served as Gadhafi’s interior minister before defecting in February to the rebel side, was shot along with two bodyguards after being called back from the battlefield, they said.

Rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil said Younes and two bodyguards had been killed before Younes could make a scheduled appearance before a rebel judicial committee investigating military issues.

It was not clear where the attack took place, and, adding to the confusion, Jalil said the bodies had yet to be found.

Inner divisions

Younes’ death is likely to deal a severe blow to the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC), which has won the official recognition of some 30 countries.

"A lot of the members of the NTC were Gadhafi loyalists for a very long time. They were in his inner circle and joined the NTC at a later stage," said Geoff Porter from North Africa Risk Consulting.

"[The killing] is indicative of schisms that have been appearing within the NTC over the last few months ... We might be seeing the most egregious examples of the divisions between the former regime members and the original rebels," he added.

Younes was reportedly unhappy in recent months after the NTC appointed a former army general, Khalifa Hefter, as commander of the opposition.

Since then, Younes and Hefter were reported to have frequently argued over "strategic military plans," regarding fighting tactics at the front.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the rebels claimed to have seized several towns in the Western Mountains. Yet, with no decisive victory in sight, the five-month civil war appears ready to grind on into the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in August.

Author: David Levitz (dpa, Reuters)

Editor: Nicole Goebel