效忠利比亚领导人卡扎菲的武装分子同要迫使他放弃权力的反政府力量之间爆发了新的冲突。目击者说，星期四的战斗发生在首都的黎波里以东200公里的米苏拉塔市。反政府力量星期三宣称控制了这个利比亚的第三大城市。
星期四在位于的黎波里西部的扎维耶市也爆发了冲突。一名目击者对美联社的一名记者表示，效忠卡扎菲的力量炸毁了抗议者藏身的一个清真寺的光塔。与此同时，卡扎菲的儿子赛义夫·伊斯兰·卡扎菲星期四宣称，有关政府对抗议者进行镇压造成的死亡人数被夸大了。
总体的死亡人数不可能确定。人权团体说，他们证实的死亡人数大约有3百人。根据目击者的说法来看，死亡人数要比这多得多。意大利外交部长弗拉蒂尼说，在利比亚持续了一个星期的抗议活动中可能有一千多人丧生。
Fresh clashes have broken out between fighters loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and anti-government forces pushing for him to give up power. Witnesses say the fighting Thursday took place about 200 kilometers east of the capital, Tripoli, in the city of Misrata, where anti-government forces on Wednesday claimed to have taken control of the country’s third largest city.
Another clash broke out Thursday just west of the capital in the city of Zawiya. A witness told a reporter for The Associated Press that forces had blasted the minaret of a mosque where protesters were taking refuge. Meanwhile, Mr. Gadhafi’s son Saif al-Islam Gadhafi claimed Thursday that the number of people killed by government crackdowns on protesters has been exaggerated.
The overall death toll has been impossible to determine. Human rights groups say they have confirmed about 300 deaths. Witnesses suggest the number is far larger, and Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Wednesday more than 1,000 people have likely been killed in Libya’s week-long uprising.