Terrified Libyans in Tripoli were yesterday bracing themselves as Muammar Gaddafi’s forces prepared to battle protesters trying to overthrow the 42-year-regime.
The revolt to overthrow Mr Gaddafi which started 10 days ago has seen opponents take most of eastern Libya, while regime loyalists have embarked on shooting sprees in the capital killing over 1,000 people according to the UN.
The streets of Tripoli are said to be deserted, with some media reports saying that Mr Gaddafi was arming his supporters for battle.
A source in Libya who spoke to The Sunday Times last night said casualty figures are far higher than the ones being cited by officials.
“There are terrible atrocities taking place, part of the coastline is packed with corpses. Prisoners at Abu Salim have been killed by the Gaddafi regime. There is a shortage of food and medicine. Mercenaries from other African countries are knocking on doors,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Details of the crimes unfolding in Libya are still sketchy. A Libyan woman employed with a Maltese business in Libya and who lives in Tripoli told a local contact on Friday:
“There is shooting everywhere... and some of the guys are hiding in our garden... pray for us. They are firing now. Please tell everyone and everywhere. We are under attack.”
A Maltese man also spoke to The Sunday Times about the death and destruction he witnessed before fleeing on a ship to Valletta yesterday.
The UN Security Council met in New York last night to consider action against Mr Gaddafi’s government. Two of Tripoli’s three five-star hotels were closed and the third, the Maltese-Libyan owned Corinthia, had started to evacuate staff.
Around 35 Maltese are believed to have remained in Libya, after more are expected to have returned to the island on two catamarans early this morning.
The government formally issued a recommendation to all Maltese nationals in Libya to evacuate the country by last night on the catamaran making what could be the last journey to and from Tripoli.
Meanwhile, Malta remained a crucial point for thousands of expats fleeing the troubled north African country.
Apart from the Virtù Ferries catamarans, which were expected to berth early this morning with up to 1,000 evacuees, a cruise ship chartered by a Brazilian company will bring some 3,000 workers from Brazil, Thailand and Vietnam sometime today.
A British warship and a Chinese-chartered ferry docked in Malta with 2,500 people from Libya’s vast multinational workforce yesterday.
Two Royal Air Force Hercules aircraft returned to Malta after rescuing workers deep in the Libyan desert. They were taken to local hotels.
It is not known whether the flights were authorised by the Libyan authorities.