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| Africa North |
| Libya shells Misrata |
| 2011-04-04 |
| [Asharq al-Aswat] Forces loyal to Muammar Qadaffy shelled a building in Misrata early on Sunday to try to dislodge rebels from their last big stronghold in western Libya where a doctor says hundreds have been killed. Like many cities, Misrata rejected Qadaffy's rule in a revolt in February. In a violent crackdown, Qadaffy's forces restored control in most places in western Libya, leaving Misrata cut off and surrounded, with dwindling supplies. In the rebel capital of Benghazi in the east, the anti-Qadaffy council have named a "crisis team," including the former Libyan interior minister as the armed forces chief of staff, to try to run parts of the country it holds. The rebel leadership has also called for the NATO-led air assault against Qadaffy forces to continue despite 13 rebel fighters being killed in a strike as they tried to take control of the eastern oil town of Brega. The shelling in Misrata hit a building that was previously being used to treat the maimed from the fighting in Libya's third largest city and killed at least one person and maimed several more, a resident said. "We have one confirmed dead and we don't know how many maimed. The ambulances are arriving now, bringing the maimed," said the resident, speaking by telephone from a building now being used as the makeshift hospital. After weeks of shelling and encirclement, government forces appear to be gradually loosening the rebels' hold there, despite Western air strikes on pro-Qadaffy targets. The rebels say they still control the city center and the sea port, but Qadaffy's forces have pushed into the center along the main thoroughfare. A doctor who gave his name as Ramadan told Rooters by telephone from the city that 160 people, mostly civilians, had been killed in fighting in Misrata over the past seven days. Ramadan, a British-based doctor who said he arrived in Misrata three days ago on a humanitarian mission, had no figure for the total toll since fighting began six weeks ago. "But every week between 100 or 140 people are reported killed -- multiply this by six and our estimates are 600 to 1,000 deaths since the fighting started," he said. One Benghazi-based rebel said food supplies were acutely low in Misrata. "There are severe food shortages and we call on humanitarian organizations to help," said the rebel called Sami, who said he was in regular contact with a Misrata resident. Accounts from Misrata cannot be independently verified because Libyan authorities are not allowing journalists to report freely from the city, 200 km (130 miles) east of Tripoli. |
| Posted by:Fred |