Libyan NTC forces advance into Sirte
A tank is seen in the city of Sirte on October 16, 2011.
Forces loyal to Libya's interim authorities have advanced into a neighborhood held by forces loyal to former fugitive ruler Muammar Gaddafi in Sirte.
The revolutionary forces on Tuesday morning surged from the east to capture the last area under control of pro-Gaddafi troops, the Associated Press reported.
Revolutionaries pushed back the loyalists from the main boulevard and cleared out snipers from residential buildings overlooking the sea.
National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters then advanced south into the fiercely defended enclave.
The pro-Gaddafi forces now hold just a few square blocks of the residential area.
NTC forces have besieged Sirte for weeks and control much of the city after launching a major push more than a week ago.
On Monday, the NTC also announced that they had captured most of a second stronghold, Bani Walid, 90 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of the capital Tripoli.
At least 25,000 people have been killed and 50,000 others have been injured during the country's revolution, according to NTC chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil.
AGB/JR
