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Tonight on Mosaic: Battles rage in Lybia as international forces join the fight

Tonight, al-Jazeera brings us the latest developments from Lybia, where Gaddafi's battalions have bombed central Misurata, killing a number of civilians including four children. Local residents are hoping to set up a floating hospital near the city's port in order to treat the increasing number of wounded. According to an al-Jazeera correspondent, international coalition fighter jets intercepted a Gaddafi warplane carrying soldiers and munitions 60 kilometers east of Benghazi. In Ajdabiya, clashes continue between the revolutionaries and Gaddafi’s battalions. Revolutionaries in the outskirts of Ajdabiya were determined to liberate the city from the Colonel's battalions.

 

The BBC reports that four people were killed and 12 injured in the shelling of al-Houlu’s family home in eastern Gaza. Three of the four killed were children, and of the injured, four are in critical condition and seven are children. The Israeli air raids came after Hamas fighters launched a number of mortar shells into southern Israel. A BBC correspondent in Gaza said the Israeli air strikes are considered the most violent since the 2009 Israeli bombardment in Gaza.

 

Dubai TV’s breaking news from Yemen confirms that two Yemeni soldiers were killed last night in clashes that erupted between the army and the Republican Guards near the presidential palace in Mukallah. Meanwhile, protestors continued to stage sit-ins at Sana'a University’s square, the epicenter of protests demanding the ouster of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The Yemeni army has been heavily deployed around the entrances of the protest square since yesterday. The protest movement has spread to 12 provinces in Yemen and has gained the support of several military commanders and Yemen’s two largest tribes, Hashed and Bakil.

 

In a report from Bahrain, al-Alam confirms that 20 people have been martyred since the beginning of the country’s protest movement. Opposition sources reported the death of one man from injuries caused by the Saudi Peninsula Shield in the Bahraini capital. Medical sources also confirmed that a woman was shot in the neck by Saudi forces as she was driving her car in the western part of Manama. The opposition called on international organizations to take action to end the violence and demand an immediate withdrawal of Saudi fighters from Bahrain. But with each martyr's funeral, Bahrainis assert they will continue their peaceful movement until their demands are met.

 

In an interview with Saudi TV, Profesor Hajawida discussed discusses why France and Britain have been at the forefront of military operations in Libya while the U.S. has taken a backseat. He states that while the U.S. wants to take the “humanitarian stance and support the Libyan people’s rights,” the Obama administration has to deal with pressing American issues such as the economy and unemployment. He also added that after the events that occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. public opinion might be more opposed to the U.S. assuming a primary role in the military operations in Libya.

 

 
 
 
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Tonight on Mosaic: Battles rage in Lybia as international...