Libyan government forces continue to bombard with missiles Misrata

Tribal leaders to negotiate with rebels - 1,400 refugees brought in by ship safety

Karin Laub and Ben Hubbard / AP

DAPD

24.04.2011

Misrata after street fighting and renewed rocket fire.Photo: AP Photo

Pope Benedict XVI. calls for end to fighting in Libya [24/04/2011]
Refugee ships from Misrata reach Benghazi [24/04/2011]
Once again heavy fighting in Misrata [04/24/2011]
Easter marches for peace and against nuclear power [04/23/2011]

Tripoli - The Libyan town of Misrata is despite the announcement of Muammar al Gaddafi withdrawal of its soldiers on Sunday returned to combat. Dozens of rockets government troops had taken the city, said a local resident. The rebels have yet to bring much of the city under their control, including the last highly competitive Tripoli street and a hospital, where would the troops loyal to Gaddafi held entrenched.

According to a fighter of the rebels was the hospital premises occupied up to 400 soldiers by government forces as a base to the end. The men now tried discreetly to mingle with the population. "They attract normal sportswear," said the insurgents, "they pretend to be civilians."

The Libyan regime had announced on Friday to try to back out of Misrata. However, it has since come again and again to combat. According to the doctor Khaled Abu Falgah, head of the medical committee of the city, were killed on Saturday and on Sunday a total of 28 people and injured 85 more. "The last 24 hours with the hardest and saddest in the last 65 days," said Falgah.

The Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Libyan Kaim had said on Sunday morning, tribal leaders should negotiate with the rebels through a laying down of arms. For this was a period of 48 hours scheduled. If negotiations fail, however, the tribal leaders could send armed followers in the city. Meanwhile, the Libyan armed forces would cease their operations, "said Kaim.

Refugee ship reached Benghazi

More than 1,400 refugees from Misrata met on Sunday on board two ships in the rebel stronghold of Benghazi Libyan one. For the evacuees, it was, according to the Red Cross, especially for foreign workers. Some of them had four or five weeks spent in makeshift camps in the port of the highly competitive city in the west of the country, "said Javier Cepero of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

At present, nor were 2000-3000 people in the port area Misratas, waiting for their evacuation, "said Cepero. The Libyan Red Cross trying the people with food and medicine supply. Because of the fighting but that was difficult.

Altogether, the two months since the siege of the city killed several hundred people in attacks with tanks and missiles or gunfire from snipers. Only at the end of last week were able to conquer the rebels, an eight-story tower in downtown Misrata, had shot out of the targeted Gaddafi soldiers loyal to humans.

UAV destroys rocket launcher

Meanwhile, NATO announced that it was the first attack by a Predator drone of the type destroyed on Saturday in the area of Misrata a rocket launcher, were shot with the Gaddafi soldiers on civilians. To the east of the country were in NATO air strikes on Saturday more than two dozen vans and cars of the government were destroyed, said a battalion commander of the rebels, Colonel Hamid Hassi.

In Washington, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called on Sunday for a more consistent approach of the international forces in Libya, personally against Gaddafi: "Kill the snake from the head, went to Tripoli bombed Qaddafi's inner circle, their locations, their military command centers," said Graham. To get rid of Gaddafi, had to be smashed his close environment and turn against him. This would require persistent air attacks.