Libya: Gaddafi forces loosen rebel grip on Misrata

After weeks of shelling and encirclement, pro-Gaddafi forces appear to be loosening the rebels’ hold on the city of Misrata, the last major rebel stronghold in western Libya.

At least one person was killed and several wounded on Sunday when troops loyal to the regime shelled a building in the city which had previously been used to treat those wounded from the fighting.

Patients and medical staff were transferred to another location several days ago.

One doctor, a Libyan based in Britain who arrived in Misrata three days ago, told the Reuters newsagency that 160 people, mostly civilians, were killed in fighting over the past week. He estimated that between 600 and 1,000 people had been killed in the city since the fighting started.

Earlier this week freelance journalist Mike Hobbs, reporting from the city for Channel 4 News, warned that thousands could perish unless there were determined efforts by coalition forces to relieve the onslaight from pro-Gaddafi forces. He quoted one source as saying that medicine, food and water were all scarce.

It is difficult to verify accounts of what is happening in Misrata, Libya’s third biggest city, because Libyan authorities are preventing journalists from travelling there.

Who's fighting who?
Libya's rebel movement is an ad hoc coalition of former Gaddafi men, soldiers, democrats and radicals with connections to al-Qaeda.

For more, read Who Knows Who: Libya's rebel movement - radicals or democrats? 

Libya war: interactive map
Follow Channel 4 News's coverage of the Libya conflict and watch the latest reports on our interactive video timeline map.

Meanwhile, warplanes flew over Brega today as rebels fought pro-Gaddafi troops for control of the oil town in eastern Libya.

Brega was the scene of a friendly fire incident on Friday, when a coalition air strike killed 13 rebels near the town’s eastern gate.

The rebel leadership called the bombing an unfortunate mistake and said air strikes were still needed against Colonel Gaddafi’s better armed units.

The Brega fighting has been continuing for four days, with rebels holding ground after being a retreat from near Colonel Gaddafi’s home town of Sirte more than 300km to the west.