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Bombing has been heard in Benghazi, as fears mount that Gaddafi is to strike before UN authorized military force. At least one fighter jet was heard. The world has been waiting to see if the Libyan dictator would continue his push into the city that is the last major stronghold of his opposition before the UN had a chance to respond.
At 4:37AM GMT, word started traveling through the wire services that something is beginning to happen in the city. Sketchy reports of bombing and at least one fighter jet over Benghazi first appeared as an unlinked banner on Reuter's website about 1:05AM EST this morning.
BENGHAZI, Libya - Large explosions were heard in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi early on Saturday, and residents said that Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy’s forces were attacking the rebel stronghold.
A fighter jet could be heard over Benghazi, a Reuters correspondent in the city said, adding that the explosions were strong enough to shake a building.
“The explosions started about 2 a.m. Khadafy’s forces are advancing, we hear they’re 20 kms (12 miles) from Benghazi,“ Faraj Ali, a retired man who was with a group of men, said.
“It’s land-based fire. We saw one aircraft,” he added.
Reuters) - Explosions shook the Libyan city of Benghazi early on Saturday while a fighter jet was heard flying overhead, and residents said the eastern rebel stronghold was under attack from Muammar Gaddafi's forces.
Elsewhere in the city, rebels also reported skirmishes and strikes by Gaddafi forces.
(Reuters) - Libyan rebels defending their eastern stronghold of Benghazi said Saturday they were being forced to retreat by Muammar Gaddafi's forces.
Planes carried out two air strikes southwest of Libya's rebel stronghold of Benghazi early Saturday and columns of smoke were seen rising from the targeted zone, AFP journalists reported.
Aircraft could be heard over the centre of the city, where explosions were heard throughout the night, as well as continuous gunfire and anti-aircraft fire.
The first air stike came at 7:20 GMT (0520 GMT) and the second followed around 20 minutes later, producing a thick column of black smoke that continued to sit in the sky nearly half an hour later.
Originally posted by catwhoknowsplusone
And my heart goes out to those suffering people, and all the suffering to come.
BENGHAZI, Libya – A plane has been shot down over the main rebel-held city in eastern Libya.
An Associated Press reporter saw the plane go down in flames outside Benghazi early Saturday after the area came under shelling.
(Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces pushed into the rebel-held city of Benghazi on Saturday, defying world demands for an immediate ceasefire and after France's U.N. envoy predicted an imminent military action
Gaddafi's forces advance into Benghazi pre-empted an international meeting hosted by France on Saturday to discuss military intervention in Libya. The meeting will be attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Arab leaders.
"We saw Gaddafi's tanks, cars and missile trucks less than five km away," a rebel fighter giving his name as Mohammed told Reuters.
"We have no hope in the Western forces," Ahmed added as around him rebel forces pulled back from the advancing frontline.
After the crash a Libyan government official denied there were "no attacks whatsoever" by military forces on Benghazi.
MiG-23MF/ML/MS/MLDs constitute the backbone of the air defense forces of Libya