Fresh clashes between the rebel troops and security forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi erupted on Sunday on the outskirts of Tripoli, killing 376 people and injuring more than a thousand, CNN reported citing the Libyan government.
The authorities of Germany and France called Muammar Gaddafi to step down as soon as possible. It would be "good if he would give up as quickly as possible" to avoid further bloodshed, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in an interview with ZDF TV channel.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle shared her opinion. "We hope this is the turning point; we hope that the last days of this unjust regime have begun," he said.
Westerwelle added that the day when Gaddafi leaves the country "is a good day for Libya and the Libyan people".
French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged Gadhafi to "spare his people further useless suffering" by stepping down immediately.
An uprising which began in Libya in mid-February against Gaddafi's forty-year rule has already claimed thousands of lives. An international military operation "to protect civilians" in Libya began on March 19 following a UN resolution and has been extended until late September.
