Forces loyal to Libya's Muammar Gaddafi have launched a fierce counter-attack in the fugitive leader's stronghold of Bani Walid while putting up fierce resistance in his hometown of Sirte.Despite the heavy fighting, Ahmed Bani, the interim government's military spokesman, said on Saturday that it was only a "matter of days" before the two towns are captured.
He also gave army personnel still loyal to Gaddafi a last chance to join the ranks of former rebel fighters.
"The soldiers and officers who will not heed this last call will be accused of high treason," Bani said in Tripoli. Their integration was part of efforts to rebuild the national army in a post-Gaddafi Libya, he said.
Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from Wishtata about 50km from the centre of Bani Walid, said there had been no fighting planned for Saturday on that front.
"But forces loyal to Gaddafi attacked from within and took potshots at the [NTC fighters] ... Their artillery aim is pretty good these days," our correspondent said, after receiving reports of numerous casualties.
"Today was for consolidation and lessons learned from yesterday, which ultimately achieved little more than getting people killed and demonstrating the strength of pro-Gaddafi forces."
The NTC said its fighters had entered the oasis town, 180km southeast of the capital Tripoli, but they made a "tactical withdrawal" on Friday evening due to sniper fire.
"It is useless to hold on to positions overnight in a hostile environment," a commander said.
Fighters regrouping
In Sirte, NTC forces swept further into the city before retreating under heavy artillery fire after two hours of clashes.
At least 6,000 fighters battled in and around one of Gaddafi's final strongholds
.
"The situation at the roundabout is pitiful," Saleb Abu Shaala, the Al-Dhahira brigade commander, said. "There is no central command, we are retreating to regroup and re-enter again from three fronts."
Abu Shaala said the clashes erupted in mid-morning and that Gaddafi's forces used heavy artillery and rockets against them.
Doctors at a field hospital reported at least 10 killed and 40 wounded in the fighting in Sirte.
Front-line fighters and commanders gave contrasting reports of progress in Sirte, with men on the ground acknowledging they were facing a tough enemy and those in charge downplaying the pockets of resistance.
Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid, reporting from Ras Lanuf near Sirte, said it had been very difficult for some NTC fighters to get inside the town
.
"In the east, they have not been able to even get close to town. The fighters here have heavy weaponry - tanks, heavy artillery - but they are still not able to advance," she said.
"We don't even have five per cent of Sirte because we just go in and out," Abdul Rauf al-Mansuri, an NTC fighter, said.
