Those are the good guys, insofar as Leb has good guys...
as forces loyal to Muammar Qadaffy
... Custodian of Wheelus AFB for 42 long years ...
fired another salvo of rockets at opposition fighters near the port.
The coastal city, Libya's third largest, has been the scene of intense festivities between pro-Qadaffy forces and revolutionaries in recent weeks. Located less than 200km east of Tripoli, it remains the last major urban centre outside Qadaffy's control in western Libya.
Pro-Qadaffy forces shelled the city with Grad rockets and deployed snipers were deployed across rooftops, particularly along the Misrata's main thoroughfare, Tripoli Street.
Twenty children were killed in the last two weeks, according to UNICEF, prompting the organisation to call for a ceasefire and "an immediate end to the siege of Misrata".
"Intensified fighting and indiscriminate shelling has led to an increased number of children being killed in Misrata. Many others lack food and safe water, and have been traumatised by the atrocities they have witnessed," a UNICEF statement said.
On Tuesday, two children were killed, and a surgery was performed on a girl not yet six-years-old to remove a bullet from her leg. Misrata also faces a severe shortage of doctors and medical supplies.
Meanwhile a Qatari vessel evacuated some Egyptian workers to Alexandria where they told stories of the bombardment by pro-Qadaffy forces. They said the government troops fired rockets near Qasr Ahmed port in Misrata in an attempt to forestall the arrival of aid. The workers also said that the pro-Qadaffy forces stole their belongings, including cars and jewellery. An unknown number of expatriate workers were killed in the assault.
But the people of Misrata were optimistic about a message sent by European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to United Nations
...an organization whose definition of
human rightsis interesting, to say the least...
Secretary General
the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon in which she expressed the EU's willingness to launch a humanitarian mission to help the people of Misrata.However,
The well-oiled
However...
the Libyan Foreign Ministry rebuffed the aid offer, saying that "any approach to Libyan land under the pretext of a humanitarian operation will be met by a violent and unexpected resistance".
Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, a spokesperson for Libya's National Transition Council (NTC) called on the international community to protect civilians and to secure a safe passage for delivering humanitarian aid to Misrata and towns in the western mountains.
The international community must implement Security Council Resolution 1973, Misrata resident Ali said.
"However,
The well-oiled
However...
we see that the battalions are trying to take control of the port and are bombarding hospitals, medical clinics and ambulances," Ali added. "Is there a way to protect civilians?"
An eyewitness said that the "battalions stormed a house belonging to Swaid family at the area of Qunaina in Misrata, killing the members of that family in front of women and old people".
"I don't know why the international community is keeping silent about that tyrant's destruction of the Libyan people's resources," the observer told Magharebia.