THE BEGINNING
In February 2011, an uprising against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's 41-year-old autocratic rule, has left an estimated 1,000 people dead and many wounded. Several parts of Libya, including Libya's second largest city, Benghazi, have been taken by anti-government rebels, who have since formed an Interim Transitional National Council. Benghazi, where rebel headquarters are located, has sustained air strikes and ongoing clashes by forces loyal to Gaddafi and is threatened by heavy fighting in nearby Ajdabiya, near the Egyptian border. In the capital, Tripoli, pro-government demonstrators take to the streets with support for their leader. The conflict has led to an immense exodus of people by land, sea and air, while many remain stranded.