Libya - Supporters of Libya's slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi have retaken control of the town of Bani Walid in the northwest, once a stronghold of the former regime, according to Libyan officials.

Mubarak al-Fatamni, the head of Bani Walid's local council, said on Wednesday that hundreds of well-armed pro-Gaddafi fighters recaptured the town, located 150km (93 miles) southeast of the capital Tripoli, and raised the former regime's green flag over its buildings late on Monday after hours of clashes with the ruling National Transitional Council (NTC) forces.

According to Fatamni, who has fled to the nearby city of Misrata, four revolutionary fighters have been killed and 25 others wounded during the confrontations.

The Gaddafi loyalists "took control and hoisted the green flag on some important districts in the center of the city," he noted, adding that, "We've been warning about this for the past two months."

"We have asked for the army to intervene, but the defense ministry and NTC have let us down," said Mahmud Warfelli, another official with the Bani Walid local council.

The interim government had previously rejected reports of the retaking.

However, recent reports showed that Defense Minister Osama al-Juwali has arrived in Bani Walid to negotiate with the pro-Gaddafi gunmen.

MAB/HN

Source: Press TV