Rebel says Gaddafi troops shell Misrata, kill 9

The rebel said "NATO did nothing to protect civilians" during the attack.

Cairo: A rebel in the besieged western Libyan city of Misrata says Muammar Gaddafi`s troops have unleashed heavy shelling of the city`s port, killing nine and wounding 20 people in the hours-long barrage.

Abdel-Salam, who gave only his first name and said he was a resident-turned-fighter, says Gaddafi`s troops used tanks and Grad missiles, concentrating mainly on the city`s port that has been its lifeline during the siege.

He says a cement factory in the area was destroyed and that residents scuttled in search of safer neighborhoods.

Misrata is Libya`s third-largest city and the only one in the country`s west still partly in rebel hands.

He says "NATO did nothing to protect civilians" during Thursday`s attack.

Bureau Report