[Al Jazeera] Libyan rebel forces have beaten off a new assault by government troops on the besieged western city of Misurata, but lost eight of their fighters in fierce street battles.Mustafa Abdulrahman, a rebel front man, told Rooters by phone that Saturday's fighting was centred on the Nakl al-Theqeel road to Misurata port.
He praised what he called a positive change from NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Originally it was a mutual defense pact directed against an expansionist Soviet Union. In later years it evolved into a mechanism for picking the American pocket while criticizing the style of the American pants...
, saying its aircraft carried out several air strikes on forces loyal to Muammar Qadaffy, the Libyan leader. Rebels have complained for days that NATO is too slow and imprecise in responding to government attacks.
Abdulrahman said NATO warplanes struck one government position on Tripoli road, a main artery that cuts through to the city centre, two sites on the coastal road and another near the western gate to the Misurata, which lies about 200 kilometres east of the capital, Tripoli.
Canadian Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard, who commands the Libya operation, said NATO air strikes hit armored vehicles firing on civilians near both Misurata and Ajdabiya.
Speaking in Naples, Italy, where the alliance's operational centre is located, Bouchard said on Saturday that NATO jets also struck ammunition stockpiles east of Tripoli that were being used in attacks on Misrata and other population centres.
A NATO official speaking on condition of anonymity
... for fear of being murdered...
because of regulations told The News Agency that Dare Not be Named that warplanes had destroyed 17 tanks and damaged nine more.