Former Gaddafi stronghold rejects Libyan government's authority
Elders in Bani Walid abolish government-appointed military council and appoint own representatives following gun battle. Negotiations were going on in Bani Walid on Tuesday, a day after fighters seized control of the Libyan town from the militias loyal to the country's provisional government. Elders in Bani Walid said they were appointing their own local government and rejected any interference from the authorities in the capital, Tripoli. On Monday, the fighters drove out militias loyal to Libya's ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) in a bloody gun battle, with at least four people reported dead. The elders denied claims they were loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, who was captured and killed in October after weeks on the run.
Jason Ditz: Clashes, Torture on the Rise in ‘Disillusioned’ Libya