Loyalists refuse to lie down in last stronghold

Muammar al-Gaddafi loyalists fired at least ten rockets from inside one of his last strongholds yesterday, hours after the ousted Libyan leader urged his fighters to crush opponents he ridiculed as germs and rats.

Former rebels have massed outside the desert town of Bani Walid for days waiting for orders to take the town, but the rocket fire marked an escalation in the stand-off, which could reach a climax when a deadline for surrender negotiations runs out this weekend.

Smoke billowed from where the rockets landed in Wadi Dinar, about 12 miles outside Bani Walid.

The city has emerged as a focus in the fight against pro-Gaddafi hold-outs since officials have said a number of prominent regime loyalists, including the former dictator’s son and one-time heir apparent, Seif al-Islam, are believed to be inside.

Gaddafi has denied rumours he has fled Libya and vowed never to leave the land of his ancestors. The message was broadcast on a pro-Gaddafi satellite TV channel based in Syria.

He called those who ousted him “a bunch of mercenaries, thugs and traitors”.

“We are ready to start the fight in Tripoli and everywhere else, and rise up against them,” he said. “All of these germs, rats . . . they are not Libyans, ask anyone. They have co-operated with Nato.”

The authenticity of the recording could not be verified.