As the rebel fight continued to progress westward towards Gaddafi’s hometown of Sirte yesterday, the situation in Libya’s contested third city of Misurata remained uncertain as regime loyalists continued with what was described as heavy shelling in the evening.
Military tanks advanced from both Zlitan, to the west of Misurata, and Tawarga, to the east of the city, sources said.
An agitated resident of Misurata told The Times that citizens had a deadly task of fighting off military tanks and accompanying snipers.
“A sniper shot is more lethal than the tanks’ bombardment, as snipers can assassinate anyone within a mile,” the witness said over the phone.
He said the onslaught was following a set pattern. Military tanks would lead a parade of about 30 soldiers, most of them mercenaries, and five snipers who then take up rooftop positions “in an attempt to shoot down any moving object.”
Snipers are replaced when they run out of ammunition and food supplies.
Military tanks in Tripoli Street, to the centre of Misurata, have been stationed there for at least a week, he said. However, they cannot move any further as they are facing strong resistance from the opposition.
On the other hand, the rebels’ anti-tank weaponry is not effective on modern tanks.The witness said most of the residents have fled the city hub and found shelter in the suburbs.
“We’ve run out of options, however, bread is the easiest thing to make,” he said when asked about food supplies.
“We try not to make a lot of noise and go out to buy food at dusk. Some shops, situated out of the snipers’ reach, are still open,” he said, adding that the city’s main hospital and school areas were shelled by Col Gaddafi’s regime last week.
Taruk Tarhuni, member of a team which ships aid to Misurata, said Malta is the closest aid-relief point for the city. “People there are struggling as the city is under siege,” he said. “Malta has a very good chance to play a memorable historic role in helping out.”
However, he complained about what he called mixed messages from the Maltese authorities.
Libyans, he said, did not know what direction the Maltese government had taken with regard to the uprising in Libya. Although Maltese citizens had been very helpful, Libyans would like to get the same support from the authorities.
For instance, he complained about the fact that pro-democracy demonstrators in Malta were arraigned in the middle of the night last week over a scuffle with pro-Gaddaffi demonstrators outside the Libyan Embassy. They were “treated like criminals,” he said, pointing out they were eventually asked to guarantee €5,000 per head for their bail. In the meantime, people are still fleeing Tripoli and no contact was possible yesterday with most of Western Libya.
The general secretary of the Libyan National Movement, Muftah Lamlum, said people in Tripoli noticed that for the first time, Green Square was devoid of pro-Gaddafi demonstrators, who had roamed the same square for the past month.
This, together with the rebels fast closing in on Sirte, might have made people close to Gaddafi’s regime fear that the end is not far, he said. It seems, however, that Col Gaddafi has a last card to play. One of the regime’s largest weapon and ammunition depots lies in the Sabha district, to the South of Tripoli.
Mr Lamlum said the place, situated “out of the coastal international coalition’s and the rebels’ reach”, also houses military camps which receive mercenaries from Africa. It has been reported that Nato forces have already set their eyes on the depot.