Gaddafi vows to take vengeance on enemies at home and abroad

REBEL fighters were yesterday braced for further attacks from forces loyal to Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi after the Libyan leader staged a show of support at home and threatened to strike his enemies abroad.

Rebels in Misrata said the death toll in the western town, a stronghold of the insurgency, had risen to seven, with at least 17 wounded, after a heavy attack by Gaddafi's artillery the day before. A rebel spokesman said: "The situation is calm today in Misrata. Yesterday (Friday] seven rebels were killed. We expect fighting later."

The rebels have advanced on two fronts against Gaddafi forces in recent days, but government troops have fought back and Gaddafi has also sought to encourage his forces. In a defiant speech late on Friday, Gaddafi threatened to export the war to Europe in revenge for the Nato-led military campaign against him.

The "traitors" will "fall under the feet" of the Libyan masses, he said.

In Tripoli and 500 miles to the south in Sabha, tens of thousands of people gathered for Friday prayers last week in what appeared to be an attempt to show that Gaddafi enjoys widespread support in the areas he still controls, despite the rebel gains of recent weeks. Gaddafi supporters rallied in Tripoli's Green Square, underscoring his refusal to step down after four decades in power and five months of fighting. Speaking on Libyan television, Gaddafi threatened to send hundreds of Libyans to carry out revenge attacks in Europe.

"Hundreds of Libyans will martyr in Europe. I told you it is eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. But we will give them a chance to come to their senses," he said.

While the insurgents have advanced on two fronts, rebels in Misrata have come under heavy artillery fire from Gaddafi's forces. A rebel sympathiser in Misrata told foreign reporters that opposition forces had been moving closer to neighbouring Zlitan, one of a chain of government-controlled towns blocking their advance to Tripoli.