No let-up as Gaddafi jet bombs city of 660,000

Colonel Gaddafi continued his attacks on the Libyan people today as the rebel-held town of Misurata was bombarded with heavy weapons.

Tanks and heavy artillery rained shells on to the coastal city of 660,000, where hours earlier the streets had been filled with people celebrating wildly the news of the UN Security Council vote.

"The bombardment started about two or three hours ago and it has continued until now," said Saadoun al-Misurati, a member of the anti-Gaddafi movement. An unspecified number were reported to have been killed or wounded.

Misurata is the last rebel-held city in western Libya. Located 130 miles east of Tripoli, it has been the centre of heavy fighting in recent days with government troops encircling the city and Colonel Gaddafi's war planes repeatedly flying bombing runs.

Elsewhere rebels continued to prepare defences around Benghazi after Colonel Gaddafi gave a warning last night that his forces would move into the city today. "The matter has been decided," he said. "We are coming." For those who resisted, there would be "no mercy or compassion." Young men were seen being trained with units allied to the rebellion and more checkpoints were being established on intersections and main roads. Despite Colonel Gaddafi's claim, the closest known position of his ground forces is still 80 miles to the south, but several war planes bombed Benghazi airport yesterday.

Several witnesses said that rebels succeeded in shooting down at least two of the attacking aircraft, although there has been no independent confirmation of that. Fire engines were seeing fighting a blaze at the airport and black smoke billowed from the area.

Colonel Gaddafi's soldiers remain primarily around and in Ajdabiyah, which has been under siege for two days.

They are understood to now hold the south, east and west of the city. Pro-regime forces outflanked the rebels, however, when they landed by boat at the nearby port of Zwitina, 15 miles north of Ajdabiyah. They reportedly swept in from the sea and quickly took control of the area, close to an important gas installation.

UN officials say that 300,000 people have fled Libya and it is feared reprisals by pro-Gaddafi forces could worsen as the UN-approved no-fly zone is imposed.