Libya's interim¹ authorities say their fighters have entered the outskirts² of the coastal³ city of Sirte, one of the last places still loyal to ex-leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.

利比亚临时领导人称，他们的不对已经进入海滨城市苏尔特外围地区，这是前领导人卡扎菲的拥护者最后占领的城市之一。

The fighters are said to have met stiff resistance and suffered casualties
Fighters had breached⁴ defences south and west of the city, about 8km (5 miles) from the centre, but met heavy resistance and retreated, the National Transitional Council said.

Earlier, crowds in Benghazi cheered Britian's David Cameron and France's Nicolas Sarkozy, the first foreign leaders to visit since Gaddafi fell.

An NTC spokesman told the BBC that fighters had been forced to retreat about two kilometres to treat casualties following their incursion（入侵） into the outlying areas of Sirte, where they reportedly clashed with snipers in a high-rise tower and an elite⁵ unit of pro-Gaddafi troops.

The anti-Gaddafi fighters - made up of battalions⁶（军营，部队） from Misrata, 200km (120 miles) to the west - suffered at least four deaths and seven wounded, although a report quoting the Misrata Military Council said 11 were killed and 34 hurt.

Col Gaddafi's spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim, told a Syrian TV channel that "thousands of volunteers" were ready to "liberate⁷ Libya" from the NTC.

"There are thousands upon thousands of young volunteers who are ready on the various fronts," he said in a phone call to the pro-Gaddafi al-Rai channel.

He went on: "We are in fact strong. We have the capabilities⁸, the means and plans to liberate the whole of Libya."

NTC fighters are facing resistance in a handful of pro-Gaddafi bastions（堡垒） , including the desert town of Bani Walid, the southern outpost of Sabha and Sirte, Col Gaddafi's birthplace.

Last week anti-Gaddafi forces said they were hours from taking Bani Walid, but were driven back, and now their movement there has stalled.