Libyan rebels took control of Misrata airport today after heavy fighting with Libyan leader Muammar Gadafy's forces, seizing large quantities of weapons and munitions in a major victory in the besieged city.
The rebels, who also rejected a United Nations call for a cease-fire, are fighting across the North African country to end Col Gadafy's 41 years in power.
The war has reached stalemate, with the government controlling the capital and almost all of the West while rebels in charge in Benghazi and other towns in the oil-producing east.
The port city of Misrata is the last major rebel-held bastion in the west. Col Gadafy's forces have besieged it for almost two months, leading to fighting that killed hundreds.
"The airport, with the help from great God, has been freed. The rebels have seized many weapons including tanks and, thank God, they are still functioning," rebel spokesman Mohamad Jaber said by telephone from Misrata, 190 km east of Tripoli.
"Now what is left and what the rebels are working on is liberating the airbase, which is close to the airport," he said.
Another rebel called Hicham who was at the airport said it had been the main base for Gadafy forces in the city. "So now, any supplies, weapons or munitions for future attacks by Gadafy's forces on Misrata have to come from outside the city. This means they would be exposed to Nato air strikes."
The rebels entered the airport after a series of coordinated Nato bombings to take out artillery batteries and other military vehicles, Hicham said.
Western countries led by Nato are assisting the rebels with a campaign of air strikes and say they will not stop until Col Gadafy leaves power.
The United States said on Wednesday it had delivered a first shipment of food rations for the rebels, part of a $25 million (15.2 million pounds) non-lethal aid package. Senator John Kerry said he was drafting legislation to transfer Col Gadafy's assets to an opposition group.
Polish foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski visited the rebels in Benghazi to show support and deliver medical aid.
UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon called today for an "immediate, verifiable cease-fire" but rebels fighting in western Libya dismissed the idea.
"We don't trust Gadafy...This is not the time for a cease-fire because he never respects it," said a rebel spokesman called Abdulrahman, speaking by telephone from Zintan in the Western Mountains region.
"He bombards civilians immediately after his regime speaks of willingness to observe a cease-fire," the spokesman said, adding that Gadafy's forces fired 20-25 Grad missiles at rebels on Wednesday, killing one and wounding three others.
Col Gadafy's government has made several cease-fire declarations but continued attacks on Misrata and other rebel-held areas including the Western Mountains near the Tunisian border.
The government says the rebels are armed criminals and al Qaeda militants and that the majority of Libyans back Col Gadafy.
It says Nato's intervention is an act of colonial aggression by Western powers intent on stealing the country's oil. Nato says it wants to protect Libyan civilians.
The three-month revolt against Col Gadafy is inspired by other uprisings this year against Arab governments. But divisions among rebel leaders are blunting their challenge to Col Gadafy and could unnerve foreign powers banking on them as a credible alternative government, according to analysts.
Mr Ban spoke in Geneva after talks with Libyan prime minister Al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi.
"He (Mahmoudi) even suggested the Libyan government was willing to have an immediate cease-fire with a monitoring team to be established by the United Nations and the African Union," Mr Ban told a news conference.
"But first and foremost there should be an end to the fighting in Misrata and elsewhere. Then we will be able to provide humanitarian assistance and in parallel we can continue our political dialogue," he added.
The European Union said it planned to open an office in Benghazi to help the rebel council there with health, education and border security.
"Let us ... be clear, Gadafy must go from power -- he must end his regime," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.
Reuters