Troops 'tighten noose' on Sirte

Libyan forces have fought their way into the eastern outskirts of Muammar Gaddafi’s home town of Sirte in a bid to link up with comrades from the west and tighten the noose around the loyalist stronghold.

More than a month after sweeping into Tripoli and ending Gaddafi’s nearly 42-year rule, Libyan forces still face fierce resistance on three fronts – in Sirte, the town of Bani Walid south-east of the capital and in pockets in the country’s vast desert south.