Originally posted by Wikinews.
Wikinews content appears under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license
except where specified. As these articles are static snapshots of news
items that may be later updated, they may not represent the latest or final
revision of that article, and posted information may be only preliminary.

Libyan city of Misrata reported to be secure after Gaddafi forces
retreat
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
March 24, 2011
Original URL: http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Libyan_city_of_Misrata_reported_to_be_secure_after_Gaddafi_forces_retreat



Airstrikes in the Libyan city of  are reported to have forced
pro-government forces to retreat after a multi-day assault on the city.

Early on Wednesday, aircraft from allied countries began flying sorties
over the city and dropping bombs. The strikes destroyed much of the
equipment of government forces, including tanks and artillery, and after
about twelve hours pro-Gaddafi troops retreated from the area.

All troops save individual snipers are reported to have left Misrata,
marking the end of five days of attacks by government forces seeking to
retake control of the city. The assault has reportedly killed close to a
hundred people.

According to a witness, Mohammed Ali, who works at the main hospital,
aircraft "bombed a lot of sites of the Gaddafi army. There is a former
hospital where his tanks were based. All the tanks and the hospital were
destroyed. A column of tanks was destroyed on the edge of the city.
[...] All that is left is [sic] the snipers and our fighters can take
care of them."

He went on to say that 94 people have died since government forces began
their attack on the city, with more than 1,300 having been injured.

== Sources == 

* http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/23/libya-allied-air-strikes-misrata
* http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-03/23/c_13794652.htm



.