Head of Libyan armed forces killed
Posted Jul 29, 2011 02:46:41 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The head of the Libyan rebel armed forces has been shot and killed just before arriving for questioning by rebel authorities.
Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, head of the rebels’ National Transitional Council, made the announcement yesterday in a statement to reporters that gave few details on who was behind the killing.
Adding to the confusion, the rebels said hours earlier they had already detained the commander, Abdel-Fattah Younis, on suspicion his family might still have ties to Moammar Gadhafi’s regime.
That raises questions about whether Younis might have been assassinated by his own side.
Such a scenario would signal a troubling split within the rebel movement at a time when their forces have failed to make battlefield gains despite nearly four months of NATO airstrikes against Gadhafi’s forces.
It could also shake the confidence of Canada, the U-S, Britain and several dozen other nations that have recognized the rebel council as Libya’s legitimate leaders.
