Deadly calm in Sirte after fierce fighting

Fighting around the last pockets of resistance in Muammar Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte abated sharply yesterday with some besieging troops saying they were deliberately holding fire after an exodus of civilians.
An AFP correspondent heard only intermittent rocket and small arms fire around the Dollar and Number Two residential neighbourhoods in the northwest of the city where Gaddafi loyalists are holed up.
A National Transitional Council fighter told AFP that there had been an exodus of civilians from the two neighbourhoods in early morning and that the besieging troops were eager to give others the chance to leave.
The lull contrasted sharply with Saturday afternoon when Gaddafi loyalists mounted a fierce counter-attack, forcing back the NTC fighters under a barrage of rockets and shelling.
A medic at a field hospital behind the eastern front line said four NTC fighters were killed and 22 wounded in the fighting on that side of the city of Saturday.
"Those killed were mainly from sniper bullets. And the wounded were injured by explosions and rocket attacks," Dr Ahmed Bushariya told AFP.
A commander on the western side of the city echoed the concern about the sniper threat.
"At the very front line, they have very professional snipers," said Salah al-Jabo. "According to doctors, 80% of the fighters killed in the last two days were shot in the head or in the chest."