MISRATA: At least three African refugees were killed on Tuesday when forces loyal to Libyan leader Moamer Qadhafi fired rockets at the besieged city's port, a medic and a Western journalist said.
The latter, who asked not to be identified, told AFP he had seen "the remains of tent and burnt plastic, lots of smoke" and "at least three dead" taken to a clinic after several Grad rockets slammed into the area.
A medical source confirmed there had been three dead and also spoke of "around 20 wounded."
Several Grads hit the port 12 kilometres (seven miles) east of the city and an International Organisation for Migration (IOM) ship come to rescue refugees stood offshore as a security precaution.
The bombardment came at about 1330 GMT, when journalists counted around a dozen blasts.
Warplanes from NATO were over flying the city of Misrata, where explosions were also heard after a 24-hour period of relative calm. A French journalist at the Port Said there had been at least one air strike.
The IOM ship had been due to take on board 550 African refugees, of whom some 2,000 are reported to be still stranded in the besieged city.
"NATO asked that the IOM boat leave the port," said a rebel source, adding that "around 20 vehicles" containing Qadhafi loyalists were approaching.
Tuesday's Grad attack came as a minibus containing seven Western journalists and four Libyan escorts was at the port, and three nearby blasts caused them to dive for cover beneath the vehicle.
"Qhadafi is trying to do everything in his power so that Misrata does not fall," said Ameir Abeir Imneina, a political science professor in the rebel bastion of Benghazi.
"He is focusing on the port to cut off aid and break the rebels' morale."
Libya's third city of Misrata is of strategic and symbolic importance to both camps of the conflict, holding the potential to break the stalemate between the rebel-held east and Tripoli.
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