Libyans form human chain against airstrikes by allied forces at Gaddafi's compound

Tripoli, Mar.20 (ANI): thousands of Libyans crowded into Muammar Gaddafi's heavily fortified Bab Al-Aziziyah compound in Tripoli, which also includes military barracks, to form a human shield against possible air strikes by the allied forces.

The crowd included many women and children, who said they had family in Gaddafi's forces and had come to protect the compound from bombing, by forming a shield around it.

Gaddafi's supporters danced and sang songs quoting an often-repeated phrase in his speeches, "house by house, alley by alley." They shouted slogans and held portraits of Gaddafi, while loudspeakers boomed with songs praising the leader

The people fired defiant shots in the air after allied warplanes went into action in eastern Libya to stop the Gaddafi's forces from attacking the rebel-held city of Benghazi.

The western forces hit targets along the Libyan coast on Saturday, striking from the air and sea to force Gaddafi's troops to cease fire and end attacks on civilians, The New York Times reports.

In Misurata, the last major rebel holdout in western Libya, one person said residents were cheering the sound of air strikes. The Gaddafi forces had continued their siege on Saturday, and had cutoff of water and electricity, as they continued to fire at in the city.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect his family, he said that the rebels were happy with the air strikes by the western forces against Gaddafi. (ANI)