Libyan troops loyal to leader Moammar Gadhafi used tanks and snipers to keep the western city of Misrata under siege Monday as diplomatic efforts to end the Libyan conflict continued.
Fighting was also reported Monday in eastern Libya where rebels and pro-government forces have been at a stalemate. Libyan rebels made a new push into the strategic oil town of Brega.
Meanwhile, a Libyan government envoy is traveling in Europe for talks on bringing an end to the fighting.
Acting Libyan Foreign Minister Abdul-Ati al-Obeidi is expected to meet with Turkish officials for talks on brokering a cease-fire with opposition forces.
On Sunday, the envoy representing Moammar Gadhafi held a similar meeting with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou in Athens.
Italy on Monday recognized the rebels as Libya's only legitimate voice.
The New York Times reports that Gadhafi's son, Seif el-Islam Gadhafi, has proposed a resolution to the conflict under which his father would relinquish power for a transition to constitutional democracy under the son's direction.
The newspaper, citing a diplomat with close ties to the Libyan government, said neither the senior Gadhafi nor the rebels appear ready to accept Seif el-Islam Gadhafi's proposal, which follows years of his public efforts to bring about such a change.
Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.
