Libyan infantry commander joins people
Thousands of Libyans pray for the removal of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in Benghazi on February 25, 2011.
The commander of the Libyan army's infantry forces has joined the revolution against Muammar Gaddafi's regime, and the international community is stepping up pressure on the North African country to stop the violence.
Al Jazeera Arabic reported the commander's defection late on Tuesday.
This development comes as more government and military officials are defecting from the Gaddafi camp because of the government's harsh crackdown on protesters.
Earlier, one of the Libyan ruler's sons, Seif al-Arab Gaddafi, joined forces with protesters in the eastern city of Benghazi. He was sent there by his father to crack down on protesters in the city.
Libyan Justice Minister Mustafa Abdel Galil and Interior Minister Abdel Fatah Yunes resigned last week and joined the people's revolution.
"Our only aim is to liberate Libya from this regime and then people (can) choose the government they want," Abdel Galil said in an interview with Al Jazeera after his resignation.
Ahmed Gaddaf al-Dam, one of the Libyan ruler's top security officials, has also resigned.
The Libyan envoy to the Arab League, Abdel Moneim al-Honi, and the country's ambassador to China, Hussein Sadeq Al Misurati, resigned on Sunday to join the protests.
With international pressure on Gaddafi mounting, the UN General Assembly unanimously approved the suspension of Libya from the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday.
The UN secretary general made the announcement in an address to the UN General Assembly in New York.
Ban also urged the General Assembly to act decisively on the crisis, stating that the people who have committed crimes against humanity in Libya should be punished.
The US and NATO bases in Italy are reportedly preparing for military action against Libya, despite Russia's warnings against the deployment of foreign forces to the North African country.
This comes as an estimated 2,000 people have been killed in the crackdown on pro-democracy protests by the regime in the past two weeks.
The regime is still trying to suppress the popular uprising as
more cities fall under the protesters' control.
Forces loyal to Gaddafi are struggling to prevent the protesters from taking the fight to Tripoli, where the Libyan ruler is holed up.
According to latest reports, mass demonstrations continue in the country as thousands of protesters are advancing past the suburbs of Tripoli.
MA/MSH/HGL
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