AFRICA_ Explosion rocks rebel stronghold in Libya

Explosion rocks rebel stronghold in Libya
From Saad Abedine, CNN
May 3, 2011 -- Updated 2236 GMT (0636 HKT)


Benghazi, Libya (CNN) -- An explosion rocked Benghazi's main square on Tuesday, prompting witnesses to say it was the work of the country's longtime strongman, Moammar Gadhafi.

A rebel spokesman used a speakerphone to address a crowd that gathered after the incident, calling the explosion a terrorist act by Gaddafi fighters who allegedly infiltrated Libya's rebel-held eastern city.

CNN could not independently confirm that statement.

Witnesses said two cars were damaged in the square, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

Small arms fire could be heard immediately after the explosion, but that quickly subsided.

The incident occurred two days after government forces pounded rebel-held areas in Tripoli, in the wake of Libyan authorities reporting that a NATO air-strike killed one of Gadhafi's sons and three of his grandchildren.

Also Tuesday, a crowd described by one U.S. official as an "organized mob" marched on the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, and crowds also gathered outside the British, French, Italian and Qatari embassies, officials told CNN.

Meanwhile, pro-Gadhafi forces stepped up their shelling of rebel positions in Misrata after Libya's government reported the deaths in Gadhafi's family.

Tuesday's incidents came as Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on Gadhafi to step down.

"A new period (has) started in the history of Libya," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.

"At this point what needs to be done is for Moammar Gadhafi, who is holding the government in Tripoli in Libya, to leave power immediately and to fulfill his historical and humanitarian responsibility," Erdogan said.

Libya has been embroiled in war between pro-Gadhafi and opposition forces, with NATO using air power to enforce a U.N. Security Council resolution to protect civilians threatened by Gadhafi troops.

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
An explosion rocks Benghazi's main square on Tuesday
Witnesses say it was the work of Moammar Gadhafi's forces
Two cars are damaged in the square, but there are no reports of casualties