Italy Says 1,000 People Were Killed in Protests in Libya

Muammar Gaddafi’s attempts to crush a revolt against his four-decade rule have killed as many as 1,000 people and split Libya, Italy’s Foreign Minister said on Wednesday.

In the eastern city of Benghazi, cradle of the revolt against Gaddafi, people let off firecrackers and honked their horns to mark the end of days of bloodshed there.

With much of the east said to be under control of the protesters, an empty jail burned in Benghazi and Britain’s Sky News showed footage of anti-aircraft missiles at what it said was an abandoned military base near Tobruk.

As countries with strong business ties to Africa’s third largest oil producer scrambled to evacuate their citizens, and residents of the capital lay low for fear of pro-Gaddafi gunmen, France became the first state to call for sanctions.