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Residents shelter from mortars in Libya's Misrata
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Residents shelter from mortars in Libya's Misrata
	
		
        
	     
	        
                
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	                By Hamid Ould Ahmed and Mariam Karouny
ALGIERS/BEIRUT (Reuters) - People in the Libyan city of Misrata are crammed five families to a house in the few safe districts to try to escape mortars raining down from government forces, a rebel spokesman...
	                
	                
	            
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By Hamid Ould Ahmed and Mariam Karouny
        
        ALGIERS/BEIRUT | 
        Thu Apr 7, 2011 10:59am EDT
        
    
ALGIERS/BEIRUT (Reuters) - People in the Libyan city of Misrata are crammed five families to a house in the few safe districts to try to escape mortars raining down from government forces, a rebel spokesman said on Thursday.
Troops loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have mounted mortars on the rooftops of buildings, allowing them to extend their range into almost every part of the city, said the rebels.
Misrata is the only big rebel stronghold left in the west of Libya, but weeks of artillery attacks and sniper fire have shrunk the parts of the city controlled by the rebels -- despite airstrikes by NATO warplanes aimed at protecting civilians.
"It does not seem there is a safe place in Misrata any more," the spokesman, who gave his name as Hassan al-Misrati, told Reuters by telephone from the city.
"They are using mortars, a lot of mortars, and they are firing anywhere. They do not care where it lands," he said. "This crazy man (Gaddafi) has turned hysterical and wants to kill as many people as he can.
"His forces have even attacked the cemetery. What is in the cemetery but dead people? But he doesn't care," Misrati said.
Accounts from Misrata cannot be independently verified because the Libyan authorities have not allowed journalists to report freely from the city.
Residents say they and thousands of migrant workers stranded there face shortages of basic foodstuffs, a lack of medical supplies and have only sporadic water and electricity.
MORTARS ON ROOFTOPS
Rebels in Misrata, Libya's third-biggest city about 200 km (130 miles) east of Tripoli, control the Mediterranean Sea port and the northern and eastern districts. Until now they have been under fire from long-range artillery.
But residents say pro-Gaddafi forces, backed by tanks and snipers on rooftops have been able to push gradually into more of the city, and are now using shorter-range mortar fire.
"Because there are few safe areas in Misrata, many families are now living together in the same house," said Misrati. "Houses are overcrowded and you find at least four of five families together in one house.
"The snipers are on top of 14-storey buildings ... Now they brought the mortars up on to the buildings too, to reach more areas inside Misrata," he said.
Officials in Tripoli deny targeting civilians but say they are battling armed gangs linked to al Qaeda who are terrorizing the civilian population.
Rebels said five people were killed in bombardments on Wednesday and a further 25 were injured.
	
	
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