Channel One said "the people of Zawiyah and the heads of the popular committees have made Zawiyah safe from the armed terrorist forces."
Channel Two said government forces were in control of most of the middle-class dormitory town just 60 kilometres (40 miles) west of Tripoli, and that 31 tanks, 19 troop carriers and other weapons including rocket-launchers and anti-aircraft guns had been seized from the rebels.
The reports said the "leader of the terrorist group" in the town, named as Hussein Darbuk, and his deputy had been killed and other leading rebels captured.
In a speech on February 24 Kadhafi accused residents of Zawiyah, which is home to a number of pro-Kadhafi military officers and the site of the country`s largest oil refinery, of siding with Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
"You in Zawiyah turn to Bin Laden," he said. "They give you drugs."
"It is obvious now that this issue is run by Al-Qaeda," he said, addressing the town`s elders. "Those armed youngsters, our children, are incited by people who are wanted by America and the Western world."
He added, "Those inciting are very few in numbers and we have to capture them. Others have to stay at home. They have guns, they feel trigger happy and they shoot especially when they are stoned with drugs." (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
