Anti-Gaddafi Forces Aim For Heart Of Sirte

Soldiers loyal to Libya's new government hope to advance into the heart of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's home town of Sirte today.

The troops are reported to be within a mile of the town centre.

But the advance has come at a heavy price, with hundreds injured and dozens killed by diehard supporters of Col Gaddafi.

Sky correspondent Alex Rossi, reporting from the front line, said: "They're throwing everything they've got at Sirte in what they're calling the final push.

"Over the last 36 hours the revolutionaries have made very good progress.

"They have covered a large area of open land between the road and Sirte, which was acting as a buffer.

"But it may take some time before the fall of Sirte, the snipers are a very big problem and they're all over the buildings."

He added: "It has been a costly advance. Although the revolutionaries have gained ground they have lost many men."

Anti-Gaddafi forces began a major attack on Sirte on Friday after a three-week siege from the outskirts of the coastal city.

On Saturday, witnesses said troops fired rockets into the city from the backs of pickup trucks, though visibility was severely limited by a sandstorm.

National Transitional Council chief Mustafa Abdul Jalil said the battle has been "ferocious", with 15 revolutionary fighters killed and 180 wounded on Friday.

"Our fighters today are still dealing with the snipers positioned on the high buildings and we sustained heavy casualties," he said on Saturday at a joint news conference in Tripoli with UK Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox and Italian Defence Secretary Ignazio La Russa.

Abdel Basit Haroun, a revolutionary field commander, said 32 people had been killed in two days of fighting, while the military council in the nearby city of Misrata, which has sent many fighters to Sirte, reported 80 wounded.

The inability to take Sirte, 250 miles (400km) southeast of Tripoli, has stalled efforts by Libya's new leaders to set a timeline for elections and move forward with a transition to democracy.

Col Gaddafi supporters also hold the enclave of Bani Walid, where government forces have been thwarted by a challenging terrain.

Meanwhile, Dr Fox pledged to keep up Nato airstrikes even after Sirte's fall, saying the international military action would continue as long as the remnants of the regime pose a risk to the people of Libya.

"We have a message for those who are still fighting for Gaddafi that the game is over, you have been rejected by the people of Libya," he said in Tripoli.

Dr Fox also announced £500,000 and extra military expertise to help Libya prevent the proliferation of weapons, including portable missiles capable of shooting down aircraft.