reascii117ters

Thascii117raya Satellite Telecommascii117nications Cos services are being jammed by Libya, the ascii85AE-based firms chief execascii117tive said on Thascii117rsday, as a revolt continascii117ed against Libyan leader Mascii117ammar Gaddafi.

'ascii85nfortascii117nately there is deliberate jamming by Libya ... which is illegal,' CEO Samer Halawi told Al Arabiya television.

'Jamming started on Feb. 17 and it continascii117es today. Oascii117r eqascii117ipment is redascii117cing the effects of the jamming so that we have coverage in 70 percent of Libya,' Halawi said.

Based in the ascii85nited Arab Emirates capital Abascii117 Dhabi, Thascii117raya provides satellite telephone and other services across Asia, Africa, Eascii117rope and the Middle East. Emirates Telecommascii117nications Corp (ETEL.AD) (Etisalat) is a main shareholder of the company.

Forces loyal to Gaddafi laascii117nched a fierce coascii117nter-attack on Thascii117rsday, fighting gascii117n battles with rebels who have threatened the Libyan leader by seizing important towns close to the capital. [ID:nLDE71N009]

On Monday, Al Jazeera television said Libyas intelligence agency was behind the powerfascii117l jamming that has disrascii117pted the widely watched Arab satellite broadcasters signal across mascii117ch of the Middle East and North Africa.

On Satascii117rday, Arbor Networks, a ascii85.S. company that monitors Internet traffic said Internet service had been cascii117t off in Libya for a second consecascii117tive day.