13 killed as Gaddafi forces attack Misrata: Libya rebels

"At least 13 people died, including women and children and four Egyptians who had attempted to be evacuated from the port," the spokesman said on condition of anonymity.

"We have faced since dawn a cowardly and criminal attack on the area of the port and the district of Kasr Ahmed near the port," he said, adding that pro-Gaddafi forces fired dozens of Grad missiles and tank shells.

"The toll will obviously worsen. We are still searching for other victims under the debris of houses," the spokesman said.

The pro-Gaddafi troops stopped their attacks in the area in the afternoon, but continued to fire on other districts including Saragsa and Al-Ghiran, he said, adding: "We need help."

An AFP photographer in Misrata said NATO jets were heard overhead late into the night.

A Greek ferry chartered by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) arrived in the town's port late Thursday to rescue 800 stranded foreign nationals and deliver humanitarian aid.

The ship left from the rebels' eastern stronghold of Benghazi on Wednesday, carrying 400 tonnes of cargo including food and medical supplies. Five doctors and two nurses from Mercy Corps and the Libyan Red Crescent were also on board.

Around 6,500 foreign migrants -- over 4,000 Egyptians, around 1,000 from Niger and over 600 Bangladeshis -- were estimated to be stranded in Misrata when fighting broke out there five weeks ago. Many camped on two roads leading from the port.

Two other vessels have already docked at the town, each able to carry 1,000 people. The IOM ship was to take the refugees to Benghazi, where they would pass through a transit camp before travelling on to Egypt for repatriation.

Libya's government said Wednesday that Misrata's port area, the only access point the rebels have with the outside world, was a "danger zone" and that any boat wishing to reach it would have to have prior authorisation.

Misrata's insurgents, who are "well organised" according to the regime, have withstood a siege and bombardment by Gaddafi's forces for nearly two months.

On Wednesday, Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said elements of the
powerful Lebanese Shiite party Hezbollah were fighting alongside insurgents in the city.

"The snipers in Misrata are elements of Hezbollah. This is not an anecdote, it's real," he declared, adding that Western intelligence agencies were aware of Hezbollah activity in Misrata.