Gaddafi hometown sees heavy fighting, civilian flee

Moammar Gaddafis hometown of Sirte saw some of the heaviest fighting in a week on Saturday, as new regime forces pressed their campaign to capture it from fiercely determined loyalists of Libyas former strongman.As military casualties mounted, a rocket killed two children when their family joined the desperate exodus of thousands who have already fled a city suffering from a growing humanitarian crisis.The focus of the latest fighting was the Ouagadougou Conference Centre, a showpiece venue where Gaddafi hosted the launch of the African Union, near where a hospital was brought badly needed supplies by the Red Cross.A large force of some 100 National Transitional Council (NTC) vehicles, including anti-tank guns and multiple missile launchers, entered the city from the south at around midday (1000 GMT) and circled the compound.We are surrounding the Ouagadougou Centre, fighter Osama Blao told AFP as he returned from the front line.Several NTC fighters said the Red Crescent had asked them to stop firing because Red Cross officials were inspecting the nearby hospital.Some of the fighters pulled back after two hours of intense clashes, during which loyalist forces used snipers and mortar fire.In Geneva, a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross said a team had spent about two hours delivering medical supplies and fuel for a generator to the hospital near the Ouagadougou complex before leaving the city.The spokesman said hospital officials said there were around 200 wounded people inside, and more were expected.Some of the hundreds of people escaping Sirte said there had been civilian casualties there when residential buildings were hit, either by artillery fire from besieging new regime forces or by NATO air strikes.I left with my family as we are caught between NATO bombings and shelling by rebels. NATO, in particular, is bombing at random and is often hitting civilian buildings, said a man who only gave his first name, Ali.The coast road west to Libyas third-largest city of Misrata was clogged with convoys of fleeing civilians, an eye-witness said.The two children killed were torn to pieces, said Ahmed Abu AUD, a field medic on the western side of Sirte. They collected the body parts in bags.NTC chief Mustafa Abdel Jalil said that civilians were being given a chance to leave Sirte.