INSI - Updated Libya Safety Advisory
Source : INSI 02.03.2011
Forces loyal to Gaddafi appear to be fighting back in Libya, where they have retaken a number of towns close to Tripoli, including Gharyan and Sabratha, creating a buffer zone around the capital.
The rapidly-changing nature of events and the renewed intensification of the fighting pose a threat to news crews in Libya, coming as they do amid reports of aerial bombardments.
The International News Safety Institute is issuing this update at 1045 GMT on March 2. INSI is working with news organisations with staff throughout Libya and is coordinating a email forum for more confidential and rapidly-changing information involving the safety of journalists. For more on this, please contact Hannah Storm at hannah.storm@newssafety.org
To the east of Libya, which has been mainly under the control of rebels since last week, the situation is increasingly complicated and confused with control of the town of Brega apparently shifting between opposing sides. Earlier today, there were reports that the north-eastern oil town had fallen to pro-Gaddafi forces, but later reports suggested it was back under the control of opposition forces, with government troops controlling its airport.
The latest town to come under attack is the strategic Ajdabiyah, home to a large ammunition depot, and ninety minutes’ drive from Libya’s second city of Benghazi. Some reports suggest the Gaddafi has deployed fighter jets to the town, and that the ammunition dump has been bombed.
It is not immediately clear what the attack on Ajdabiyah, which is itself poorly defended, might mean for the larger city of Benghazi, which has been the centre of many of the evacuations of foreigners fleeing Libya, and where many journalists have based themselves since the city fell to the rebels, but foreign media should be ready to evacuate if necessary.
Away from the fighting, there is a growing humanitarian crisis on Libya’s western border with Tunisia, where -- as of this morning -- 80,000 people had fled. This situation brings its own specific risks, which journalists should be aware of -- because of the vast numbers of people, levels of hunger, desperation and the possible outbreak of disease.
Source : INSI 02.03.2011
Forces loyal to Gaddafi appear to be fighting back in Libya, where they have retaken a number of towns close to Tripoli, including Gharyan and Sabratha, creating a buffer zone around the capital.
The rapidly-changing nature of events and the renewed intensification of the fighting pose a threat to news crews in Libya, coming as they do amid reports of aerial bombardments.
The International News Safety Institute is issuing this update at 1045 GMT on March 2. INSI is working with news organisations with staff throughout Libya and is coordinating a email forum for more confidential and rapidly-changing information involving the safety of journalists. For more on this, please contact Hannah Storm at hannah.storm@newssafety.org
To the east of Libya, which has been mainly under the control of rebels since last week, the situation is increasingly complicated and confused with control of the town of Brega apparently shifting between opposing sides. Earlier today, there were reports that the north-eastern oil town had fallen to pro-Gaddafi forces, but later reports suggested it was back under the control of opposition forces, with government troops controlling its airport.
The latest town to come under attack is the strategic Ajdabiyah, home to a large ammunition depot, and ninety minutes’ drive from Libya’s second city of Benghazi. Some reports suggest the Gaddafi has deployed fighter jets to the town, and that the ammunition dump has been bombed.
It is not immediately clear what the attack on Ajdabiyah, which is itself poorly defended, might mean for the larger city of Benghazi, which has been the centre of many of the evacuations of foreigners fleeing Libya, and where many journalists have based themselves since the city fell to the rebels, but foreign media should be ready to evacuate if necessary.
Away from the fighting, there is a growing humanitarian crisis on Libya’s western border with Tunisia, where -- as of this morning -- 80,000 people had fled. This situation brings its own specific risks, which journalists should be aware of -- because of the vast numbers of people, levels of hunger, desperation and the possible outbreak of disease.
No comments:
Post a Comment