TRIPOLI, Libya — Pressure is mounting on Moammar Gadhafi from within his stronghold in the Libyan capital, with increasing NATO airstrikes and worsening shortages of fuel and goods.
An activist said early today that there has also been a wave of anti-government demonstrations in several Tripoli neighborhoods this week — dissent that in the past has been met with zero tolerance and brutal force.
Gadhafi’s rebel opposition, meanwhile, received major political boosts from abroad. Britain promised to provide them with police gear, and the Obama administration invited a rebel delegation to the White House for talks today.
Highlighting the pressure, the sound of two NATO strikes could be heard early today. It was not clear what they targeted.
The strikes followed a round of NATO airstrikes early Thursday that hit Gadhafi’s fortified compound in Tripoli. Just hours beforehand, the Libyan leader had appeared on state TV for the first time since his son was killed nearly two weeks ago. Before his appearance, rumors swirled that he had been killed or injured.
Reporters were shown the airstrike damage by Libyan officials, including one who said Gadhafi and his family had moved away from the Bab al-Aziziya compound some time ago.
One missile appeared to have targeted some sort of underground bunker at the compound — a sprawling complex of buildings surrounded by towering concrete blast walls.
NATO, which has hit the Libyan capital repeatedly this week, said the attack Thursday successfully hit “a large command and control bunker complex in downtown Tripoli that was used to coordinate attacks against civilian populations.”
Early today, an anti-government activist in the Libyan capital said there had been protests this week in at least three neighborhoods in the capital, accompanied by exchanges of gunfire between opposition activists and Gadhafi forces.
He said he saw in one neighborhood, Fash loum, that soldiers were flooding the area and patrolling the streets in vehicles. He said he did not personally see a demonstration there but heard from other activists that there was a brief gun battle in that area.
Gunfire could be heard in a separate neighborhood close to the hotel where reporters must reside.
The activist’s report echoed those made earlier to The Associated Press by a local journalist and resident Thursday. All spoke on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisals.
Reporters cannot independently confirm the information because they are forbidden to leave their Tripoli hotel without government minders.
The activist said residents are frustrated by a severe fuel shortage that forces some motorists to spend up to three days in line at gas stations.
