US urges Libya rebel unity after killing

WASHINGTON: The United States on Friday urged Libya's rebels to stand united and stay focused on ousting strongman Moamer Kadhafi after the assassination of the insurgents' military chief.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner offered condolences and said that the United States had not determined who killed General Abdel Fatah Yunis, amid speculation that the shooting may have been part of an internal rebel rift.

"I think what's important is that they work both diligently and transparently to ensure the unity of the Libyan opposition," Toner told reporters.

"In this kind of fluid situation, it's important to keep, if you will, eyes on the prize, which is the democratic transition for the Libyan people," Toner said.

Toner said the killing would not change the US recognition of the rebel National Transitional Council as the legitimate representatives of Libya, which has been torn by fighting since Kadhafi tried to crush protests in February.

He blamed Kadhafi, who has ruled Libya since 1969, for creating the conditions that led to Yunis' assassination.

"Such tragedies speak to the situation that's been created by Kadhafi and his regime," Toner said. "It underscores why he needs to leave power and do so immediately."

Yunis was shot dead after he was summoned from the front by the rebel council "for questioning over military issues," the council's chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil said late on Thursday. (AFP)