Government forces retreat in Libya’s coastal city of Misrata

Government forces retreated in Libya's coastal city of Misrata after two months of siege, but seized an opposition town in the remote Western Mountains, with no sign yet of Muammar Gaddafi being dislodged from power.

"Misrata is free, the revolutionists have won. Of Gaddafi's forces, some are killed and others are running away," an opposition spokesman was quoted by Reuters as saying by telephone from the coastal city, where hundreds have died in street battles between the revolutionists and government forces.

One government soldier, Khaled Dorman, among a group of 12 being brought to hospital for treatment in Misrata, told Reuters from the back of a pickup truck: "We have been told to withdraw. We were told to withdraw yesterday."

The apparent opposition victory in Misrata, the only large city in the West where they have consistently held out, is a major development in the uprising that began in February.

But Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said early Sunday the army had suspended operations against the fighters in Misrata, but not left the city, to enable local tribes to find a peaceful solution. "The armed forces have not withdrawn from Misrata. They have simply suspended their operations," Kaim told a news conference in the capital. "The tribes are determined to solve the problem within 48 hours... We believe that this battle will be settled peacefully and not militarily."

Nevertheless, the overall trend of fighting in Libya is still far from clear in a conflict that has seen seesaw victories for both sides. Al Jazeera television reported that heavy fighting continued on Saturday around a hospital in western Misrata being used as a base by Gaddafi's forces.

Government forces captured the town of Yafran in Libya's Western Mountains on Saturday, a revolutionist spokesman said. Fighters in that region captured a border post two days ago and had begun rushing supplies to towns under attack, saying they were cheered by reports from Misrata. "Gaddafi brigades seized control of the (Yafran) town center and we are currently in nearby villages," a revolutionist spokesman, who identified himself as Ezref, told Al Arabiya television. "They are firing mortars and Grad missiles," he said, adding that he had counted more than 44 Grad rockets fired in one hour.