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A war that some thought might be over in weeks once NATO forces, backed by a United Nations mandate to protect civilians, started to bomb Gaddafi’s military installations in March is instead dragging on into the hot summer and a month of fasting.

The rebels have launched an offensive in the Western Mountains, near Tunisia and from Misrata — Libya’s third largest city some 210 km east of the capital which the rebels clung onto after weeks of street-to-street fighting. They hope to march west through Zlitan and on to Tripoli.

But hospital sources in Misrata said that a counter-attack by Gaddafi forces on Tuesday morning had killed seven rebels and wounded another 65 fighters in Zlitan.

A Reuters reporter in between the two towns saw plumes of smoke and heard intermittent gunfire coming from Zlitan.

“No one should think that after all the sacrifices we have made, and the martyrdom of our sons, brothers and friends, we will stop fighting. Forget it,” state television showed Saif al-Islam, the leader’s son, saying to families displaced from the eastern rebel stronghold of Benghazi.

“Regardless of whether NATO leaves or not, the fighting will continue until all of Libya is liberated,” he added, in comments that were made on Sunday but broadcast on Monday evening.

Saif al-Islam has not been seen speaking in public for several weeks.

A United Nations peace envoy was dispatched to Libya last week and Gaddafi’s government had previously said that it would only start talks if NATO stopped its bombing raids.