Libya soldiers in Benghazi after overnight protests
Libyan security forces killed at least 24 people in a violent crackdown on anti-regime demonstrations during a "Day of Anger" against strongman Moamer Kadhafi, Human Rights Watch said Friday.
The New York-based rights group, citing witnesses, said 24 protesters were killed and scores injured during Thursday’s assaults on protests in two Libyan cities.
"The authorities should cease the use of lethal force unless absolutely necessary to protect lives and open an independent investigation into the lethal shootings," HRW said in a statement.
Soldiers were deployed on the streets of Libya’s second city of Benghazi, and a resident who lived in the city’s main thoroughfare, Nasser Street, told Reuters on Friday morning the city was now quiet, with no more demonstrations.
But he said: "Last night was very hard, there were a lot of people in the street, thousands of people. I saw soldiers in the street."
"I heard shooting. I saw one person fall down (from a gunshot wound) but I don’t have a figure for casualties."
BBC radio, quoting an eyewitness, said doctors had counted the bodies of 10 people after the clashes in Benghazi, which is about 1,000 km (600 miles) east of the Libyan capital.
Another resident in Benghazi, who said he had been in contact with people in the nearby town of al-Bayda, told Reuters: "The confrontation between protesters and Gaddafi supporters is still going on, some of the police have become angry. There are a lot of people killed."
Local sources had earlier told Reuters that at least five people were killed in al-Bayda.
The resident also said that Saadi Gaddafi, a businessman son of the Libyan leader, had been on local radio and said he was coming to Benghazi to take over as mayor of the city and protect the people there.
Saadi Gaddafi holds senior military rank and was briefly employed as a player by Italian professional football clubs.
Funerals of those killed were expected in both Benghazi and al-Bayda on Friday. Such funerals could act as a catalyst for further protests.
On Thursday deadly clashes broke out in several towns after the opposition called for protests in a rare show of defiance inspired by uprisings in other Arab states and the toppling of Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and Tunisia’s Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.
Tight controls on media and communications in Libya made it difficult to assess the extent of the violence, but on Friday unverified reports on social network sites said up to 50 people had died. There was no official comment on the violence.
Political analysts say Libya oil wealth should give the government the capacity to smooth over social problems and reduce the risk of an Egypt-style revolt.
Gaddafi’s opponents say they want political freedoms, respect for human rights and an end to corruption. Gaddafi says Libyans enjoy true democracy.
Pro-government supporters also were out on the streets early on Friday, according to CNN. The broadcaster said images transmitted on Libyan state television labeled "live" showed men chanting slogans in support of Gaddafi.
The pro-Gaddafi crowd was seen singing as it surrounded his limousine as it crept along a road in the capital packed with people carrying his portrait. Fireworks lit up the night sky.