Assault on Sirte.

Assault on Sirte.
Transitional Libyan government forces swept into Sirte Saturday in one of the biggest assaults yet on Muammar Gaddafi's hometown.
Taking Sirte would bring Libya's new rulers closer to their goal of establishing control of the entire country almost two months after they seized control of the capital Tripoli.
Commander of the East Frontline, Abdel Salam Gad Allah
SOUNDBITE: Commander of the East Frontline, Abdel Salam Gad Allah
"The Gaddafi forces and his loyalists are so limited and they are besieged in few kilometres. A week ago, they came together to battle against us and now we are seizing them from all sides. They are hiding in the University of Sirte, Ouagadougou centre, Ibn Sinai clinic and some buildings, but their number is so small. We are seizing Sirte from all sides and I hope the battle will end within 24 hours."
The battle for Sirte has come with a price. The wounded are treated at hospitals. They are casualities of the prolonged struggle to capture the the few remaining bastions of pro-Gaddafi loyalists.
Many have died in the fight.
The battle for Sirte presents a challenge for Libya's new rulers. A drawn-out battle with many civilian casualties could breed hostility that will make it very difficult for the NTC to unite the country once the fighting is over.
Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters