Libyan rebels deny al-Qaida involvement

BENGHAZI, Libya, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan opposition denied there is any involvement of al-Qaida terrorists in the Libyan rebel forces.

Commenting on the killing of leader of al-Qaida terrorist network Osama bin Laden, the opposition spokesman Abdelhafld Ghoga said "there is no al-Qaida in our ranks."

Libya has been witnessing nation-wide unrest for two months after the anti-government protests broke up in mid February, which demand the country's leader Muammar Gaddafi to end his 42 years rule.

The ground fighting between insurgents and the Libyan government troops has been in a stalemate for weeks, and the front- line is now between Brega and Ajdabiyah, about 100 km west to Benghazi.

Gaddafi has been accusing the insurgents as al-Qaida terrorists, warning the infiltration of the terrorist group could turn the northern African country as second Afghanistan.

The spokesman called for more intensified airstrikes from NATO to attack the Gaddafi troops which blockade the western city Misrata.

The heavy shelling and artillery bombardment in Misrata has made the humanitarian situation in the city worsening, the media reports said.

Meanwhile, Ghoga did not rule out the possibility of using chemical weapon by Gaddafi forces after the death of Gaddafi's second youngest son Saif al-Arab and his grandsons in NATO's air strike in Tripoli on April 30.
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