July 26 (Reuters) - Following are the latest political and military developments in the Libyan crisis.
– The United Nations envoy to Libya and the Benghazi-based rebel council discussed ideas on Monday for ending the civil war but said a firm initiative had yet to take shape.
– Senior rebel official Mahmoud Jibril said Monday he had made clear his side would reject any initiative that did not involve removing Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi from power as a first step to peace.
– U.N. envoy Abdul Elah al-Khatib said he plans to go to Tripoli on Tuesday to canvas government views.
– Gaddafi and his family can stay in Libya as part of a political deal to end the five-month-old war provided they give up power and rebel leaders can decide where and under what conditions they remain, senior rebel leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil told the Wall Street Journal on Monday.
– Jalil said rebels would continue their offensive during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins early next month.
– Turkey has delivered its first cargo of fuel to aid east Libya as part of multi-million dollar free oil supply deal with the cash-strapped rebel government aimed at easing shortages, industry sources told Reuters.
– The two fuel cargoes from Turkey are worth at least $10 million and each carry 5,000 tonnes of diesel. One was delivered to Benghazi late last week and the second cargo is being delivered, trade sources said.
– Rebel-held Misrata was running short of fuel on Monday as a fire raged at a storage depot hit by a rocket from Libyan government forces.
– NATO said it struck central Tripoli twice on Monday.
– The front near Gaddafi-controlled Zlitan, the largest city between rebel-held Misrata and Tripoli, was relatively quiet on Monday. Twenty casualties were taken to hospital in the nearby rebel-held city of Misrata and to a field hospital, but doctors said most had only light shrapnel wounds.
– Tripoli-based journalists were taken to Zlitan on Monday to see what officials said were some food warehouses and a medical facility that were hit by NATO forces.
It was not immediately clear whether the buildings were used by civilians or the military. Officials said seven bodies had been recovered from what they said was the destroyed clinic.
– A group of Libyan diplomats and staff stormed the Libyan embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria, smashing statues and portraits of Gaddafi and declaring the embassy under the control of the rebel forces, television channel BTV reported on Monday.
The group, led by consul Ibrahim al-Furis, took over the mission’s seal and the safe and declared they are now joining the rebels.
– The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry declared al-Furis persona-non-grata and asked him to leave the country in 24 hours, saying it was not linked to the storming of the embassy.
– NATO said it conducted 111 air sorties on Monday, 54 of them strike sorties that aim to identify and hit targets but do not always deploy munitions.
– NATO said key targets hit on Monday included:
— One military vehicle storage facility near Al Khums;
— One military facility, five armoured vehicles, two tanks and 11 light military vehicles near Brega;
— Two armoured fighting vehicles near Gharyan;
— Two command and control nodes, two anti-aircraft weapons, three multiple rocket launchers and one military vehicle near Tripoli;
— One ammunition storage facility near Waddan;
— Three command and control nodes, one military armoured vehicle storage facility and two armed vehicles near Zlitan.
– Since NATO took over command of air strikes on March 31, its aircraft have conducted 16,555 sorties, including 6,239 strike sorties.
NATO members participating in air strikes in Libya include France, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Italy and the United States.
– Seventeen ships under NATO command are patrolling the central Mediterranean Sea to enforce a U.N. arms embargo.
On Monday, 18 vessels were hailed to determine destination and cargo. Two were boarded but they were not diverted.
A total of 1,944 vessels have been hailed, 186 boarded and nine diverted since the start of the arms embargo.
