Algiers (Reuters) Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi has taken control Misrata port in the west of the country, stranding thousands of foreign workers seeking to be evacuated, as reported by a resident. According to this source, the international coalition bombing during the Wednesday night hit some of the tanks that government forces are in close proximity to this city but not found in the middle of it.
The bombings of recent days have failed to stop the attacks and sniper operations forces Gaddafi that residents say have killed scores of people and injured hundreds in Misrata, the last rebel stronghold in western Libya . "Some tanks on the coastal road were bombed last night around 18:00 but the tanks within the city, in the center (...) they were bombing the city, are still there and were not attacked," has reported that resident , Abdelbasset.
"We have a humanitarian crisis in the port. More than 6,000 Egyptian workers, some with their families, plus some African workers, who are now in the port. They went there to wait for a boat that will take out but nobody comes," he added . "From Wednesday, the port is under the control of the forces pro-Gaddafi.
They have sent two warships and some boats and now we are under siege from the sea", he lamented Abdelbasset. "We have not been attacked, but if they do, the thousands of workers will be the first victims," he warned. Misrata, the third largest city with about 300,000 inhabitants, is located about 200 kilometers east of Tripoli.
The civilian casualties Libyan state news agency, JANA, said that the international coalition on Wednesday night made three attacks Tajura district, in Tripoli, which killed a "large number" of civilians. The same source said that the objective of the third attack was "the rescue services who tried to remove the dead and wounded from the rubble and destruction caused by the first two attacks." Local sources told Reuters that there was a loud explosion in a military area close to an engineering school located in Tajura.
However, the American commander of the allied military mission in Libya, Admiral Gerard Hueber, said that no data are available to talk about civilian casualties resulting from attacks on Libyan soil, despite the regime's information agent Muammar Gaddafi, who point to the contrary. "We're pressing Gaddafi ground forces that threaten the city," said in reference to air strikes.
Hueber recalled that the objective of the operation 'Dawn Odyssey' is to "protect civilians", and explained that it selected the objectives and planned actions under this priority. Libyan state television claims that to date there have been at least 60 fatalities and 150 injuries among civilians as a result of the five-day aerial bombardment of the coalition.
According to his figures, military aircraft have carried out 175 outlets over the past 24 hours and 113 of them have been carried out by aircraft of U.S. forces. Chief of Operations of the British Air Force, the Vice Marshal Greg Bagwell, had insisted that international forces seek at all times to protect civilians.
"We Libyan ground forces are under constant observation and attack them as a threat to civilians or attack population centers," said Bagwell, quoted by the BBC. In addition, Libyan officials have taken a group of foreign journalists to a hospital in Tripoli on Thursday to show the bodies of 18 people, including military and civilians, have died because of the bombings on the capital made by the military foreign.
According to Reuters reporters at the morgue there were bodies of adult men lying on beds of metal and covered with green and white sheets. This is the first time you teach the bodies of alleged victims of Allied bombing foreign journalists in Tripoli. However, journalists saw the bodies of women or children.
A morgue worker, Abdel Salaam, said that the deceased "are civilians, not guilty of anything." Another worker said that some are civilians and others are soldiers who died Wednesday evening following the attacks on several points of Tripoli, the main stronghold of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. 
The bombings of recent days have failed to stop the attacks and sniper operations forces Gaddafi that residents say have killed scores of people and injured hundreds in Misrata, the last rebel stronghold in western Libya . "Some tanks on the coastal road were bombed last night around 18:00 but the tanks within the city, in the center (...) they were bombing the city, are still there and were not attacked," has reported that resident , Abdelbasset.
"We have a humanitarian crisis in the port. More than 6,000 Egyptian workers, some with their families, plus some African workers, who are now in the port. They went there to wait for a boat that will take out but nobody comes," he added . "From Wednesday, the port is under the control of the forces pro-Gaddafi.
They have sent two warships and some boats and now we are under siege from the sea", he lamented Abdelbasset. "We have not been attacked, but if they do, the thousands of workers will be the first victims," he warned. Misrata, the third largest city with about 300,000 inhabitants, is located about 200 kilometers east of Tripoli.
The civilian casualties Libyan state news agency, JANA, said that the international coalition on Wednesday night made three attacks Tajura district, in Tripoli, which killed a "large number" of civilians. The same source said that the objective of the third attack was "the rescue services who tried to remove the dead and wounded from the rubble and destruction caused by the first two attacks." Local sources told Reuters that there was a loud explosion in a military area close to an engineering school located in Tajura.
However, the American commander of the allied military mission in Libya, Admiral Gerard Hueber, said that no data are available to talk about civilian casualties resulting from attacks on Libyan soil, despite the regime's information agent Muammar Gaddafi, who point to the contrary. "We're pressing Gaddafi ground forces that threaten the city," said in reference to air strikes.
Hueber recalled that the objective of the operation 'Dawn Odyssey' is to "protect civilians", and explained that it selected the objectives and planned actions under this priority. Libyan state television claims that to date there have been at least 60 fatalities and 150 injuries among civilians as a result of the five-day aerial bombardment of the coalition.
According to his figures, military aircraft have carried out 175 outlets over the past 24 hours and 113 of them have been carried out by aircraft of U.S. forces. Chief of Operations of the British Air Force, the Vice Marshal Greg Bagwell, had insisted that international forces seek at all times to protect civilians.
"We Libyan ground forces are under constant observation and attack them as a threat to civilians or attack population centers," said Bagwell, quoted by the BBC. In addition, Libyan officials have taken a group of foreign journalists to a hospital in Tripoli on Thursday to show the bodies of 18 people, including military and civilians, have died because of the bombings on the capital made by the military foreign.
According to Reuters reporters at the morgue there were bodies of adult men lying on beds of metal and covered with green and white sheets. This is the first time you teach the bodies of alleged victims of Allied bombing foreign journalists in Tripoli. However, journalists saw the bodies of women or children.
A morgue worker, Abdel Salaam, said that the deceased "are civilians, not guilty of anything." Another worker said that some are civilians and others are soldiers who died Wednesday evening following the attacks on several points of Tripoli, the main stronghold of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
- NATO ships patrol sea; Gadafi forces roll back (23/03/2011)
- Doctor says Libyan tanks nearing Misrata hospital (23/03/2011)
- AUDIO: Misrata: 'No food, no electricity, no water' (23/03/2011)
- VIDEO: 'Tanks and snipers' all around Misrata (21/03/2011)
- Surrounded by tanks, snipers, Libyan hospital is fortress of fear (23/03/2011)
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