Soldiers loyal to Muammar Gaddafi captured by insurgents in Misrata said Saturday that the army had received orders to withdraw from this port city in western Libya, besieged for nearly two months by government forces.
A rebel spokesman said the soldiers before fleeing, trapped corpses and buildings.
"We were told yesterday to withdraw," one soldier told Reuters, Khaled Dorman, transported with eleven others injured at the hospital in Misrata, 200 km east of Tripoli.
Another soldier, asked whether the government had lost control of Misrata, replied in the affirmative.
Contacted Misrata, Gemal Salem, spokesman of the insurgents, said by telephone that the forces of Muammar Gaddafi had left the city but stayed outside and be in position to bombard.
"Misrata is free, the Rebels have won.Some forces soldiers were killed Qaddafi and others are fleeing, "he said.
He added that the goal of insurgents Misrata was now come to the aid of other outbreaks of rebellion in Tripoli.
First attack drone "Predator"
The Libyan government admitted on Friday evening that the siege had been broken during the capture of the port by insurgents and that the airstrikes had contributed.
"The strategy of the Libyan army is to conduct surgery, but with air strikes, it does not work," said Vice-Foreign Minister Khalid Kaim.
"The situation will be alleviated in Misrata, tribes around Misrata and the rest of the inhabitants of Misrata take care of it, and the Libyan army," he told reporters in Tripoli.
Another spokesman for the rebels to Misrata, Abdelsalam, said that Gaddafi supporting tribes were a minority in the region.
"There are two small towns near Gaddafi Misrata. They represent less than one percent of the population in and around Misrata," he said.
"They know that when the Gaddafi regime fall, they fall with him," he added, saying that fear the government pays for them mercenaries posing as members of tribes.
Salem said that the rebels now raking Misrata and clear the streets.Before leaving, he said, forces Gaddafi trapped corpses, homes and cars.
"A man opened his refrigerator on his way home this morning after the departure of forces Gaddafi, and it exploded in his face. Same with the corpses. When the rebels are trying to raise a body, he explodes.Three people were killed because of this, and we deplore 15 wounded.
The Pentagon also announced that the U.S. had Libya on Saturday launched their first attack drone "Predator".
Conducted last month by the West under a UN mandate, the conventional air raids have not helped insurgents to take sufficient advantage and Admiral Mike Mullen, Chief of Staff Inter-American weapons, said Friday that the conflict threatens to enter a deadlock.
Strikes by HQ Gaddafi
On the night of Friday to Saturday, NATO conducted air strikes near Bab al Azizia, fortified headquarters of Gaddafi in Tripoli.
Moussa Ibrahim, spokesman for the government, said three people had been killed by a "powerful explosion" in a parking lot.
Reuters journalists have reported that the place was surrounded by walls and watchtowers occupied by soldiers. NATO strikes have left two large holes. The bombs have crossed the floor and a layer of reinforced concrete, reaching what appears to be an underground shelter.
Smoke was still one of the craters, with boxes of ammunition nearby.Ibrahim Moussa said that the place was no longer used and that the ammunition boxes were empty.
In addition, the agency Jana reported that the Libyan Prime Minister Al Baghdadi Al Mahmoudi, had Saturday with his Greek counterpart George Papandreou a telephone interview during which he reaffirmed Libya's commitment to UN resolutions.
He added that Libya was committed to the peace initiative of the African Union.
"The colonial aggression of the crusaders" - apparently referring to military operations against NATO forces Gaddafi - violate these resolutions, "said Mahmoud quoted by Jana.
"There was talk during the exchange of the role of Greece to stop these excesses," the agency said.
