 By the morning of 5 March, pro-Gaddafi soldiers were reported to have been beaten back from the centre of the city, after overnight fighting, however they still controlled the town's entry points.At six in the morning, another assault was underway, which started with a surprise barrage of mortar shells.At 7 a.m., at least 20 tanks entered the city and heavy street fighting started with loyalists storming residential buildings and reportedly killing people inside to secure the rooftops for snipers.