Libya Civil Unrest Claims 6 000 Lives

Libyan opposition protesters gather around an anti-aircraft gun about 5km away from Ajdabiya, some 160km South West of Benghazi, Eastern Libya, 02 March 2011. EPA/BGNES

At least 6 000 people have been killed in the popular riots against the regime of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

The death toll estimate was announced by the Libyan Human Rights League in Paris on Wednesday, as cited by BGNES.

According to the League's reprentative Ali Zeydan, 3 000 have been killed in the Libyan capital Tripoli, and 2 000 in the second largest city in Libya Benghazi, which is in the hands of the rebels.

Various diplomatic sources have estimated the death toll in Libya at between 1 000 and 2 000 people but precise data is not available.

The Libyan Human Rights League has pointed that thousands of mercenaries have been deployed by the Gaddafi regime, including 3 000 in the city of Tripoli and 3 000 in its suburbs.