20110510
reuters

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan government forces bombarded a residential area outside Misrata on Tuesday, said rebels trying to maintain their grip on the city in the face of a fierce onslaught.

Fighting in the port city has ebbed and flowed over the past few weeks but rebels gained ground on Monday after hundreds of them broke through a front line and consolidated their positions west of the city, according to a report in the New York Times.

Misrata is key to rebel hopes of overthrowing Muammar Gaddafi because it is the last city they control in the west of the North African country.

The Libyan leader has not appeared publicly since April 30, when a NATO air strike on a house in the capital killed his youngest son and three of his grandchildren, leading some Arab diplomats to question why he has remained out of sight.

Fresh battles erupted in Souk al Arab south of the city and at al-Ghiran near the city's airport, a rebel spokesman said.

"The revolutionaries (rebels) entered the area of Souk al Arab ... Fighting is taking place there now," said rebel spokesman Belkacem from Misrata. His comments could not be independently confirmed.

Rebels also took the town of Zareek, about 25 km (15 miles) west of Misrata, after fighting on Monday but were still trying to extinguish fuel tanks ignited overnight on Friday in a government attack, he said.

"Gaddafi's forces bombarded a residential area west of the city this morning at 0300 (local time). That area was subject to random bombardment," he said by telephone.