NATO providing support as concern for civilians mounts
Militias belonging to Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC) government continue to fight against Gadhafi loyalists in the coastal city of Sirte, Moammar Gadhafi’s hometown, as NATO warplanes offer support from the air. Reuters reports that NTC forces were closing in on Sirte from the west and the east, but were facing resistance from Gadhafi snipers. On Sunday, NATO planes dropped bombs on the city. Humanitarian organizations working in the area are expressing concerns for the civilians living in Sirte. According to Reuters, witnesses who have been able to get out of the city have reported that Gadhafi forces are not allowing residents to flee the violence, effectively using them as human shields. There are also reports that Sirte and the city of Bani Walid—another pocket of resistance to the NTC—are quickly running out of food and medical supplies.