Libyan government forces have rocketed the main fuel depot in Misrata. The attack on early Saturday intensified a two-month siege on the rebel-held city that has claimed civilian lives and prompted warnings of a humanitarian crisis.

Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi bombed a fuel depot in Misrata with rockets, destroying the tanks and sparking a huge fire. Firefighters battled to extinguish the blaze.

The depot contained vital stores of fuel for cars, ships and generators powering hospitals and other key facilities. As the fuel was used for export as well as domestic consumption, the attack dealt a heavy blow to the rebels' ability to withstand the ongoing siege.

Misrata is the last remaining city in the west still under rebel control. The port city has been under siege for more than two months and has witnessed some of the fiercest battles.

Libyan troops besieging the city of 300,000 by land have recently stepped up shelling of Misrata's port to close the city's last lifeline. Hospital sources say hundreds of people have been killed in Misrata since February.

The humanitarian situation is rapidly deteriorating because of the Gaddafi regime's attempts to tighten its siege and block access by sea.

Elsewhere in the conflict torn country, state television has been broadcasting reports saying NATO forces launched air strikes on several targets across western Libya.

The military stalemate between Libyan government forces and anti-Gaddafi rebels seems far from over.