Nato launched air strikes today against a Libyan government weapons depot near the rebel-held town of Zintan and heavy fighting was reported near Misrata airport in western Libya.
Zintan is in the Western Mountains region that has seen escalating conflict between forces loyal to Muammar Gadafy and rebels fighting to end his four decades in power.
"Nato struck weapons depots ... in an area which lies about 30km southeast of Zintan. We heard a loud explosion ... I think the strike hit some of them (the depots)," a rebel spokesman said by telephone from Zintan.
"We are now at a cemetery burying 11 people martyred during yesterday's fighting in which 35 fighters were also wounded," he said. There was rocket fire on the town yesterday from pro-Gadafy forces, the rebels said.
There was no immediate comment from Nato.
Rebels in the city of Misrata were engaged in intense fighting today with government forces near the airport, a rebel spokesman said,
" We are still hearing sounds of artillery and rockets," the spokesman said. “Nato struck an area in the east of Misrata today.”
Fighting in other parts of Libya has reached stalemate despite weeks of Nato air strikes that aid rebels who hold Benghazi and other eastern towns but are besieged in the port city of Misrata in western Libya.
Col Gadafy's forces are concealing tanks and artillery and using 'shoot and scoot' tactics in Misrata, frustrating Nato air efforts to break the weeks-long siege of the city, the rebels and Nato officials say.
Government forces have abandoned the city centre to the rebels but are entrenched in the built-up outskirts, sometimes firing from the open and scuttling for cover between buildings.
On Friday, the government bombarded fuel storage tanks for the city, sparking a huge fire.
Groups of rebels in Misrata surrendered to the government, the state-run Al-Jamahiriya television station said today in an apparent effort to capitalise on the strike's impact.
It gave no numbers but quoted a military spokesman as saying some of those who surrendered made recorded "confessions" that would be screened later.
The broadcast brought a swift rebuttal from rebels.
"This is a big lie. Nobody did this (surrendered) and nobody will do. We are steadfast and full of challenge. We will fight until the end even with our nails and teeth if we have to," said spokesman Ahmed Hassan.
He acknowledged the fuel tank attack was causing problems.
“The fuel is still burning and huge clouds of smoke are covering Misrata. This is causing breathing difficulties and threatens a major environmental problem in the city," he said.
An Italian ship came to help extinguish the fire but could not dock because the port is closed and rebels were now at a loss to know how to combat the fire, he said. The port has come under heavy shelling from pro-Gadafy forces.
Reuters