MISRATA (Libya), April 8: Forces loyal to Libyan strongman Moamer Qadhafi were engaged in heavy fighting with rebels in the insurgent-controlled town of Misrata on Friday evening, a correspondent witnessed.

“There is an intense exchange of fire with light arms, rockets and heavy artillery between the rebels and the regime's army,” said the correspondent, who said he was among a group of journalists brought to the town by authorities.

The correspondent said they were about five kilometres into the town that extends some 30 kilometres along the Mediterranean coast.

As they arrived at a hospital, where they had been brought to see casualties from the fighting, an officer escorting them was lightly wounded by a sniper.

“We hit the dirt before heading back the other way,” he said. Misrata, about 215 kilometres east of Tripoli, has seen fighting for more than 40 days since the start of the uprising against Qadhafi.

Doctors said last week that 200 people had been killed there since the fighting began.

Earlier this week, the United Nations called for a halt to hostilities around the town, saying several weeks of “heavy shelling” by Qadhafi's forces had killed or wounded hundreds.—AFP