Tripoli, April 18: Latest reports indicate that forces loyal to embattled Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi continue to bombard the civilian population in the besieged western city of Misratah.
The revolutionaries say that the government artillery bombarded the residential areas in the city on Monday.
“The Gaddafi forces are shelling Misratah now. They are firing rockets and artillery rounds on the eastern side — the Nakl el Theqeel [road] and the residential areas around it,” saying.
Reports say thousands of residents have been forced to escape the city due to intense shelling, snipers and cluster bombs.
Meanwhile, a senior Libyan medic in the city of Misratah says some 1,000 people have been killed since regime forces began attacking the city six weeks ago.
The administrator of Misratah’s main hospital said 3,000 people were injured during the same period. He added that 80 percent of those killed were civilians.
Reports say there has been a sudden rise in the number of people suffering gunshot wounds to their heads and necks.
Rights groups warn that the situation in the city is dire.
Regime forces have besieged Misratah for almost two months now.
Meanwhile, NATO warplanes pounded positions in al-Hira area southwest of the capital Tripoli on Sunday.
Revolutionary forces have frequently criticized NATO for its failure to prevent the killing of civilians.
—Agencies