Situation in Libya’s third city Misrata ‘critical’

The city resident, who said his name was Abdullah, said Gaddafi’s troops were striking randomly as they attempted to seize the rebels’ one remaining major stronghold in western Libya.

“Gaddafi’s troops are attacking the city with full power today,” he confirmed. “They are striking randomly – there so many casualties. I can’t give a final number while the battle is still going on.”

Abdullah said that Misrata city residents were frustrated at the speed of the response to the attack from NATO.

“The most scary thing is that there has been a six and a half hour attack without any intervention from NATO,” he said. “We can’t hear any aircraft in the air. Are they waiting for the attack to be over until they bomb Gaddafi’s men?”

Abdullah added that he was sceptical at claims that Nato cannot bomb the city because of the risk of civilian casualties.

No safe areas

“Nato say they can’t bomb the city, this is not true,” he insisted. “There are no civilians in the same part of the city as Gaddafi’s troops. The civilians and families are keeping away. There are no safe areas but they move as far as possible from Gaddafi’s men and the missile launchers.

“People in Misrata, they think and they believe that the aircraft attacks are not enough,” he said. “We are not wanting an army to come and fight Gaddafi’s men – we are doing that job. What we need them to send limited ground troops – about 50 to 100 – to guide the aircraft and prevent them from killing the civilians.”

Abdullah confirmed that limited humanitarian aid was getting into the city through the port but added that the captain of one of the three ships that arrived yesterday received threats that they would be bombed if he tried to land.

“Gaddafi is trying to cut us off from the rest of the world,” he claimed.

Abdullah said that even when food does get into the city, people are unable to receive it because of the threat of the snipers positioned on buildings along the 6km Tripoli Street which runs from the coast to the city centre.

But he said that the sight of a white and green helicopter that belongs to Gaddafi above the city this afternoon was residents’ biggest concern. “We know that every time that helicopter approaches in the sky we can expect a serious bomb attack.”