Libyan rebels' commander was killed by his own side, say allies

12 April 2012

Libya's opposition was in turmoil today after the death of its military commander, who had been arrested on suspicion of holding secret talks with Colonel Gaddafi's regime.

Major-General Abdel Fatah Younes had been summoned from the battlefront at the port of Brega to answer allegations from other leading rebels that he had visited Tripoli to meet ministers.

The National Transitional Council said he was killed while travelling north by pro-Gaddafi forces. But this was dismissed by the commander's supporters, who claimed he was executed with a shot to the head or died under torture while being interrogated.

Roadblocks were set up in Benghazi after units loyal to Younes were said to have left the front line and entered the opposition capital. The roads to the commander's home were also sealed by the Shabaab - volunteer militia fighters formed after the uprising - and it was reported that a number of the general's relatives and associates were being detained.

Younes, who had served as defence and interior minister in the Tripoli regime, was hailed as a hero of the revolution after he was dispatched by Col Gaddafi to suppress the revolt in Benghazi but defected and became head of the rebel's military force.

He regularly clashed with Khalifa Haftar, a former army officer, who also claimed to lead the revolutionary forces and the two men ran parallel chains of command.

His death was announced by the head of the opposition, Abdul Mustafa Jalil, at a chaotic late-night press conference at a hotel in Benghazi. Two senior rebel officers were also killed, he said.

But Mr Jalil gave little detail about the nature of the attack or its exact location. The press conference was curtailed when the general's supporters stormed into the grounds of the hotel, spraying machinegun fire into the air.

Experts said the commander's death risked exposing divisions between the original rebels and those who subsequently defected from the Gaddafi regime.

"The killing is indicative of schisms that have been appearing over the last few months," said Geoff Porter of North Africa Risk Consulting.

The British Government this week recognised the National Transitional Council as the sole representative of the Libyan state and ordered Gaddafi's diplomats to leave the UK.

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