The fierce clashes in the town, located some 90 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of Tripoli, comes as the Libya’s new leaders struggle to stamp out lingering resistance from pro-Qaddafi forces and unify a deeply fractured country after eight months of civil war and more than 40 years of authoritarian Qaddafi rule.
Mahmoud Al-Warfali, a spokesman for revolutionary brigade of the new regime in Bani Walid, said up to 150 pro-Qaddafi fighters raised his old green Libyan flag at the northern gate of the town and were battling revolutionary forces in the streets with rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s.
“These are Qaddafi remnants who tried to take over the city,” Al-Warfali said. “They have tried to do this before and take over the interim government’s office, but thank God we have been able to fight them off.” He said four revolutionary fighters were killed. He did not know how many people were wounded.
Bani Walid resident Moussa Al-Warfali said the clashes began early Monday when Qaddafi loyalists angry over the arrest of one of their men attacked revolutionary fighters in the town.
The fighting originally was centered around the revolutionary brigade’s base, but has since spread to other parts of the town.
The clashes are considered serious enough that dozens of revolutionary fighters from Tripoli have been dispatched to Bani Walid to help, said brigade commander Saddam Abdel-Zein.
Revolutionary commanders in Tripoli also said “sleeper cells” loyal to Qaddafi opened fire in the capital Monday evening in an attempt to take advantage of the fighting in Bani Walid. There was no word of casualties.
Abdel-Rahman Al-Soghayar, a commander from the new regime in the capital, said shooting took place in several neighborhoods of Tripoli Monday evening, forcing people to remain indoors and stores to close early.
There were also reports of shooting in the western Nafusa mountains, according to Al-Soghayar, who was in touch with fellow fighters there. No further details were available.
The outbreak of violence prompted revolutionary fighters in the western city of Misrata and the eastern city of Benghazi to declare a high alert, setting up check points and securing entrance points to the cities, according to Benghazi military officials and Misrata’s revolutionary brigade spokesman, Walid Khashif.