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Tuesday, Jun 7, 2011 10:05 AM UTC

Rare daytime NATO airstrikes hit Libyan capital

Low-flying military craft have targeted Tripoli in eleven successive attacks today

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Topics: Libya,

Rare daytime NATO airstrikes hit Libyan capitalIn this photo taken on a government organized tour, local residents stand next to a damaged house in Tripoli, Libya, on Sunday, June 5, 2011. Libyan officials claim that during a NATO airstrike, a rocket targeted a nearby military site hit a residential area and damaged several houses. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)(Credit: AP)

Low-flying NATO military craft hit Tripoli in eleven successive attacks on Tuesday in rare daytime strikes on the Libyan capital.

The strikes that shook the city appeared to land close to Gadhafi’s sprawling compound, but government officials were not immediately available to confirm the targets.

NATO officials have warned for days that they were seeking to increase the scope and intensity of their two-month old campaign to oust Gadhafi after more than 40 years in power.

NATO is assisting a four-month old rebel insurgency that has seized swaths of eastern Libya and pockets in the regime’s stronghold of western Libya.

After some of the strikes, pro-Gadhafi loyalists fired anti-aircraft weapons into the air.

Diaa Hadid

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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