8 Libyan army officers abandon Gaddafi

 Eight Libyan army officers have appeared in Rome, saying they were part of a group, of as many as, 120 military personnel, who defected from the government. The defectors include five generals, two colonels and a major.

They told a news conference they defected in protest to Gaddafi's actions against his own people, saying there had been a lot of killing of civilians and violence against women. The officers added that Gaddafi's campaign against rebels was rapidly weakening. Libya's defected UN ambassador, Ab-durrah-man Shalgam, said Gaddafi's days as leader are numbered.

He said, "I would like to thank all these Libyan generals who have left Gaddafi's forces to support the resistance of the Libyan people. I think this is a very important step that shows that the days of Gaddafi are truly over."

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