Tripoli, April 05: Forces loyal to the embattled Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi have killed at least five people in an attack on a residential area in the port city of Misratah.
According to medical sources, Gaddafi forces shelled the residential area late Monday. The death toll is expected to rise as the injured people are unreachable by medical teams, Reuters reported.
“The reception in the hospital is full. Five people were confirmed killed in the last two hours and five more are in critical condition,” a doctor at the hospital said.
Reports say Gaddafi troops attacked Misratah for four hours. The bombings targeted a school that was a shelter for residents who had fled the city’s fighting.
On March 15, the US froze the assets of Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Koussa to pressure Gaddafi’s regime to stop the attacks against revolutionary forces.
However, the sanctions were lifted on March 30 due to Koussa’s defection to Britain in an attempt to persuade other individuals in Gaddafi’s regime to follow suit.
On Monday, Libyan government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said Tripoli is ready to negotiate democratic reforms without any changes to its leadership.
The opposition Interim National Council rejected the offer, saying that beleaguered Gaddafi has to either leave the North African country or be put on trial before any negotiations.
——–Agencies