Gaddafi forces rain shells on upland rebels

COLONEL Muammar al-Gaddafi's forces shelled the main rebel stronghold in mountains southwest of the Libyan capital yesterday, pounding the area with rockets, a resident said.

The Nafusa mountains, which slice across the desert south of Tripoli, have been a focus of opposition since the early days of the uprising against Col Gaddafi's rule. Although Col Gaddafi's forces control most of western Libya, rebels have linked up with the mountain area's minority Berbers to keep his forces out of the highest points.

Yesterday, rebels fought to hold back government troops rocketing their positions near the city of Zintan, the rebel command centre for the mountain range, said activist Hamed Enbayah. The shelling killed at least one rebel fighter and wounded three others, he said.

The Nafusa mountains are the main rebel-held section of western Libya after the city of Misrata, which has been under an even more punishing siege.