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Summary Libyan government forces captured landmark buildings in a thrust towards the centre of Sirte.
Taking Sirte would bring Libyas new rulers a big step closer to establishing control of the entire, sprawling North African country almost two months after they seized the capital Tripoli, but Gaddafi loyalists are putting up stiff resistance.National Transitional Council (NTC) forces captured Sirtes main hospital as well as the university and a lavishly built international conference centre, but one large group of anti-Gaddafi fighters fled in disarray after coming under an intense mortar volley.The university, seized overnight, also came under a sustained counter-attack, as did the conference centre.“We are in the residential area called Sabamiyah about 1 km from the centre of Sirte. We are facing a lot of sniper fire, they also have rocket launchers, but we are surrounding them from three fronts so they only have the sea facing them and God willing, the decisive hour for the battle is coming soon,” said NTC fighter, Abdel Latif Al Darar.One large group of NTC fighters, approaching Sirte from the west and trying to pin down Gaddafi loyalists against the sea, saw their advance turn into a rout under heavy and accurate mortar bombardment.
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