Libyan Colonel\'s former stronghold attacked by regime loyalists

Green flag bearers attack Bani Walid  Diehard supporters of slain Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi seized control on Monday of Bani Walid, his one-time bastion, after launching a brazen attack at a base there that killed five, officials said. "The loyalists of  Gaddafi took control of the entire city of Bani Walid," said M'barek  Al-Fatmani, a former member of Libya's ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) in the desert oasis, 170 kilometres (110 miles) south of Tripoli.
The assault on the base of ex-rebels was the first major offensive launched by Gaddafi loyalists since the "liberation" of Libya on October 23, shortly after the fall of Bani Walid.
Fatmani said the daylight attack on the stronghold of men who helped oust the Colonel's  regime last year killed "five thuwar (anti-Gaddafi revolutionaries), including a commander." Around 30 ex-rebels were also injured, he said.
Mahmud Warfelli, spokesman of Bani Walid local council, said earlier that the attack was launched by "a group of remnants of the old regime," and called for outside help against a feared "massacre."
"There are around 100 and 150 men armed with heavy weapons who are attacking. We have asked for the army to intervene, but the defence ministry and NTC have let us down," he said.
"(The gunmen) took control and hoisted the green flag on some districts, some important districts in the centre of the city," Warfelli added.
"We're out of the frying pan into the fire. We've been warning about this for the past two months."
Fatmani, said the assailants had circled the former rebels' base.
"The compound of thuwar is surrounded on all sides by loyalists of Kadhafi who are attacking it with all kinds of weapons," said Fatmani.
"The attackers are carrying green flags," symbol of the Gaddafi regime, he said from inside the base.
Fatmani said the base belonged to the May 28 Brigade, a unit of former rebels attached to the defence ministry.
"The attackers shouted 'Allah, Muammar, Libya and that's it!," he said, referring to a slogan popularised by Gaddafi loyalists during his rule.
The group of pro-Gaddafi fighters on Monday surrounded the headquarters of May 28 Martyrs battalion in Bani Walid holding green flags, the commander of Bani Walid’s rebels Ambarak Al-Fatmani told ‘Arabstoday’. 
"Yesterday they had distributed leaflets saying "We will be back soon. We will take the rats out,'" Fatmani added.
Fatmani said that the pro-Gaddafi fighters had started distributing flyers on Sunday night saying that they would return soon and will expel “the rats” referring to anti-Gaddafi rebels. Pro-Gaddafi forces stated that if they conquered Bani Walid they could easily reach other areas, stressing that Libya's ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) was responsible for rebels' safety as no troops were sent to support them as promised after the Souq Al Juma'ah (Friday Market Square) clashes.
In addition, Fatmani called on all of Libya’s revolutionaries to support Bani Walid’s rebels, stressing that there were many injured and ambulances were unable to enter.
"I call upon Libya to save Bani Walid thuwar urgently. Their ammunition is almost over."
“They are subjected to genocide,” he said.
Fatmani also said ambulances were unable to evacuate those wounded because there were "snipers postioned on a school and a mosque in the vicinity" of the attack.
Bani Walid was one of the last pro-Gaddafi bastions to fall in the bloody uprising against the former dictator's rule.
The capture of Bani Walid was followed days later by the fall of the longtime strongman's hometown Sirte in a battle which also led to his killing and marked the "liberation" of Libya