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Libyan government forces launch rockets on Misrata

Libyan government forces attacked the coastal city of Misrata with at least 100 Grad rockets early on Saturday, a rebel spokesman said.

Government troops have laid siege to Misrata, the last major enclave in western Libya, for more than six weeks after the city rose up in revolt along with others against Gaddafi's four-decade rule in mid February.

"They fired Grads at an industrial area this morning, at least 100 rockets were fired. No casualties are reported," Abdelbasset Abu Mzereiq told Reuters by telephone. "We know that the dairy factory there has been damaged."

The industrial area is close to the port on the eastern side of the city where thousands of migrants are stranded and awaiting evacuation.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said a rescue ship is on its way to Misrata to begin evacuating the migrants, many in an "extremely poor state."

Rebels say the situation deteriorates each day. "The (Qadhafi) forces have focused their shelling on that area in the past few days because they want to scare away ships bringing aid or aiming to evacuate migrants," Abu Mzereiq said.

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