MOAMMAR Gadhafi's loyalists said yesterday they had captured 17 mercenaries - some British and French - in what could amount to a severe blow to Libya's new rulers and their international backers.
The claim by the ousted leader's spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, comes as the new authorities face stark reversals on the battlefield and in the political arena.
Nearly a month after Gadhafi was driven from power, his loyalist holdouts have beaten back repeated assaults by forces of the so-called National Transitional Council at the town of Bani Walid and Gadhafi's home city of Sirte.
The NTC, based in the eastern city of Benghazi, has faced questions about whether it can unify a country divided on tribal and local lines.
Ibrahim said: "A group was captured in Bani Walid consisting of 17 mercenaries. They are technical experts and they include consultative officers.
"Most of them are French, one is from an Asian country that has not been identified, two are English and one is Qatari."
The French foreign ministry said it had no information about the report. The British foreign ministry said it was aware of media reports about the capture of mercenaries but was not able to substantiate them.
NATO, which is staging air strikes on Gadhafi loyalist positions, said it has no troops in Libya.
However, Western nations have sent special forces in the past, and media have reported that private security firms have aided anti-Gadhafi forces in training, targeting and with leadership. Gulf Arab states have also sent trainers and arms.
The interim government's attempts to seize Bani Walid, 150 kilometers southeast of Tripoli have become a debacle, with forces repeatedly surging into the town only to be driven out by pro-Gadhafi defenders.
Fighters said on Sunday that plans had gone awry for tanks and pickup trucks with machine guns and rocket launchers to lead an attack.Foot soldiers attacked first, only to be driven out.
The claim by the ousted leader's spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, comes as the new authorities face stark reversals on the battlefield and in the political arena.
Nearly a month after Gadhafi was driven from power, his loyalist holdouts have beaten back repeated assaults by forces of the so-called National Transitional Council at the town of Bani Walid and Gadhafi's home city of Sirte.
The NTC, based in the eastern city of Benghazi, has faced questions about whether it can unify a country divided on tribal and local lines.
Ibrahim said: "A group was captured in Bani Walid consisting of 17 mercenaries. They are technical experts and they include consultative officers.
"Most of them are French, one is from an Asian country that has not been identified, two are English and one is Qatari."
The French foreign ministry said it had no information about the report. The British foreign ministry said it was aware of media reports about the capture of mercenaries but was not able to substantiate them.
NATO, which is staging air strikes on Gadhafi loyalist positions, said it has no troops in Libya.
However, Western nations have sent special forces in the past, and media have reported that private security firms have aided anti-Gadhafi forces in training, targeting and with leadership. Gulf Arab states have also sent trainers and arms.
The interim government's attempts to seize Bani Walid, 150 kilometers southeast of Tripoli have become a debacle, with forces repeatedly surging into the town only to be driven out by pro-Gadhafi defenders.
Fighters said on Sunday that plans had gone awry for tanks and pickup trucks with machine guns and rocket launchers to lead an attack.Foot soldiers attacked first, only to be driven out.
