Syria, Yemen, Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: An Attack with Helicopters
Saturday, June 11, 2011 at 6:43 | Scott Lucas in Africa, EA Global, EA Middle East and Turkey, Middle East and Iran 1745 GMT: Regime forces and insurgents have been fighting in Zawiyah, 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Tripoli, shutting the coastal highway to Tunisia.
Activists on social media are claiming at least 30 people have been killed.
"The situation is very bad in Zawiyah. There's been fierce fighting since the morning between the Gaddafi forces and the rebels," said a resident.
The opposition held Zawiyah for a few weeks this spring before the town fell to the regime.
1735 GMT: Yemeni authorities say the army has killed 21 Al Qa'eda members in Abyan Province in the south.
Nine Yemeni soldiers were reportedly slain.
The provincial capital Zinjibar was occupied by insurgents last month.
1730 GMT: Residents and refugees from the besieged Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughour report ongoing fighting. One said, “Helicopters and tanks are bombing Jisr from all the sides and the situation is extremely miserable --- they are even targeting cars carrying civilians and the wounded.”
Claimed footage of attack helicopters above the town:
