Incident

Home page

Incident

Pro-Gaddafi forces shelling Libya’s Misrata: rebels

04 April 2011 19:30 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi were shelling the rebel-held city of Misrata on Monday, targeting residential areas, a rebel spokesman said, APA reports quoting â€œReutersâ€.
Misrata, Libya’s third-biggest city, is the only major rebel stronghold left in the west of the country. It has been encircled and under attack by pro-Gaddafi forces for weeks and hundreds have been wounded or killed.
"The shelling started in the early hours of the morning and it’s continuing, using mortars and artillery. This is pure terrorism. The shelling is targeting residential areas. We know there are casualties but I don’t know how many," the spokesman, called Gemal, told Reuters by telephone.
He said there was also heavy shelling of the city, including the port area, on Sunday and that two people were killed.
Aid ships have docked at Misrata’s Mediterranean port -- which is controlled by the rebels -- to evacuate casualties, but the rebel spokesman said more help was needed.
Misrata has no proper hospital and the doctors working in a makeshift clinic there say they are unable to cope with the flow of people wounded in the fighting.
"The medical situation remains difficult," said Gemal. "Many more should be evacuated. We have been promised by brother states that more help is on its way."
U.N.-mandated air strikes to protect civilians in Misrata have so far failed to halt attacks by the Libyan army.
The rebel spokesman said the only solution was for foreign governments to help overthrow Gaddafi and his family. "Protecting civilians means removing this regime. It is the only threat to civilians," he said.
Libyan officials deny attacking civilians in Misrata, saying they are fighting armed gangs linked to al Qaeda. Accounts from Misrata cannot be independently verified as Libyan authorities are not allowing journalists to report freely from there.