Forces loyal to Ivory Coast’s internationally recognised president Alassane Ouattara have pulled back from a final assault on strongman Laurent Gbagbo’s bunker after meeting fierce resistance from his army.

After a day of heavy fighting at Mr Gbagbo’s residence in Abidjan, where the strongman is holed up, refusing to surrender and cede power to his rival, Mr Ouattara’s troops have drawn back, a resident said.

“There has been a pause in the fighting,” between Mr Gbagbo’s troops and Mr Ouattara’s Republican Forces Army, he said after “several hours of sustained heavy weapons fire.”

“The Republican Forces arrived up to 150 metres from the gate. They had to pull back,” he added.

“The offensive launched by the Ouattara’s troops met with strong resistance from Gbagbo’s last loyal men”, a French government source said.

“There are still some mortars and tanks in the presidential compound, the offensive was suspended for a few hours,” the source said.

Mr Ouattara’s camp earlier said they were going to storm the bunker and forcibly remove Mr Gbagbo to end his decade-long rule of the world’s number one cocoa producer after losing November elections.

“We are going to take Laurent Gbagbo out of his hole and hand him over to the President of the republic,” said Sidiki Konate, spokesman for the pro-Ouattara forces.

“We are going to his residence to fetch him and put an end to this comedy... This charade must end because the country is collapsing,” he said.

In France a government source said Ouattara forces had launched a final assault after negotiations to persuade Mr Gbagbo to give up power failed.

“Gbagbo was still refusing to sign a document recognising Ouattara’s victory ... and Ouattara concluded that he was not being honest,” the source said.

“He therefore decided to intervene militarily to try to resolve the problem, to capture Gbagbo alive.”

UN peacekeeping department spokesman Nick Birnback said Mr Gbagbo remained in contact with international representatives.

“Discussions continue with the UN using its good offices to the fullest extent possible,” he said.

After calling for a ceasefire and retreating to the bunker Tuesday with his wife Simone and a few others, Mr Gbagbo insisted in a radio interview late Tuesday he would not accept he had lost the vote.