Gaddafi forces keep up assault on Libyan rebel cities

---

Fighting has been continuing in Libya for key cities after a fifth consecutive night of air strikes, reports BBC. Overnight, several loud explosions were heard in Tripoli In Misrata, a rebel-held city east of the capital, government tanks have been shelling the area near the hospital. There have also been reports of fierce fighting between rebels and pro-Gaddafi forces in strategic Ajdabiya. Residents fleeing the town described shelling, gunfire and houses on fire. In Misrata, Libya's third-largest city, witnesses had said on Wednesday that tanks had pulled back from their positions under air assault from international forces. But later residents said the tanks had rolled back into the city and resumed shelling. One resident has said pro-government forces have seized control of the city's port, where there are thousands of stranded foreign workers seeking to leave, Reuters news agency reported on Thursday. An explosion was also reported at a military base in the Tajura region east of Tripoli. Residents in Tripoli said plumes of black smoke could be seen coming from an area near a military base, although this has not been independently confirmed. It may take the coalition of international powers days or weeks to destroy Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi's military, but it will not require months, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has told reporters. Meanwhile, AP from Washington adds: As America's NATO allies shoulder a greater share of the air war in Libya, the Arab countries that urged the UN Security Council to impose a no-fly zone are missing from the action. Except for the small Persian Gulf nation of Qatar, which is expected to start flying air patrols over Libya by this weekend, no other members of the 22-member Arab League have so far publicly committed to taking an active role. The US has sold many of these countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, billions of dollars in sophisticated military gear over the past decade to help counter Iran's power in the region.