BENGHAZI, Libya — A barrage of rocket fire from forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi killed at least 20 people Thursday in the besieged city of Misurata as rebels continued to send boats with humanitarian aid and weapons to try to tip the battle in their favor.
Gadhafi’s forces, controlling Misurata’s western and southern edges, launched a ferocious barrage of artillery starting at 6 a.m. Thursday.
“They shelled residential areas, and more than 20 people were killed, and there were a lot of injuries,” opposition spokesman Mustafa Gheriani said from the rebels’ de facto capital of Benghazi.
The attacks, which targeted the Qasr Ahmed district near Misurata’s port, were apparently intended to halt the arrival of an aid ship. Gadhafi’s loyalists recently warned that any attempt to deliver aid to the city, Libya’s third-largest, without the regime’s approval would be met with violence. A captain and an opposition official said at least two boats had been halted outside the port Thursday afternoon after Gadhafi loyalists warned by radio they would be attacked if they tried to enter.
Gadhafi’s men have also been attempting to use rocket and tank fire to punch a hole in the center of Misurata, which has become a symbol of resistance against the regime. Residents say Gadhafi’s tactic of firing rockets from 10 to 20 miles outside the city had failed to win him any new ground in 40 days but had cost hundreds of lives.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization-led international mission to use air power to protect civilians has been of little help in Misurata, residents say.
“We hear their planes after the attack,” said Mohamed Darrat, a businessman turned rebel spokesman. “After the rockets and people die, we hear their planes. They have to either protect us or arm us.”
Meanwhile, Libyan state television reported another round of NATO airstrikes on the Libyan capital, Tripoli, as well as on Aziziyah and Kaklah to the south. State television showed images of a man purported to be Gadhafi standing through the sunroof of a car driving through downtown Tripoli and waving his arms in the air.
International talks in Cairo over the potentially destabilizing conflict between Gadhafi’s forces and rebels determined to end his four-decade rule continued. Arab League chief Amr Moussa called for a cease-fire as a way “to put an end to bloodshed” and ensure the territorial integrity of the oil-rich North African state.
Moussa endorsed the goals of the rebels, including freedom of expression and democracy, but declined to call for Gadhafi’s removal. Gadhafi, for his part, has repeatedly promised to abide by a cease-fire even as he continues to violate it.
