, ▁were ▁pel ting ▁the ▁city ▁with ▁Grad ▁rock ets , ▁killing ▁two , ▁but ▁NAT O ▁a irst rik es ▁had ▁hit ▁art illery ▁positions ▁in ▁Jan z our ▁and ▁the ▁bar rage ▁had ▁slow ed . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 6 ▁August , ▁a ▁NAT O ▁sp okes man ▁said ▁that ▁reb els ▁held ▁the ▁city ▁center , ▁but ▁there ▁were ▁" re ports ▁of ▁fighting ▁also ▁in ▁the ▁sub ur bs ". ▁Al ▁J aze era ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁city ▁center ▁in ▁Z aw i ya ▁had ▁been ▁captured ▁the ▁day ▁before . ▁Lo yal ists ▁were ▁also ▁still ▁holding ▁the ▁ref in ery . ▁Do ctors ▁who ▁had ▁escaped ▁a ▁hospital ▁in ▁eastern ▁Z aw i ya ▁held ▁by ▁G add af i ' s ▁forces ▁said ▁their ▁hospital ▁was ▁being ▁used ▁for ▁military ▁purposes , ▁with ▁sn ip ers ▁position ed ▁on ▁the ▁roof ▁and ▁anti - air craft ▁art illery ▁set ▁up ▁just ▁outside ▁the ▁entrance . ▁They ▁said ▁do ctors ▁and ▁n urs es ▁had ▁been ▁held ▁host age ▁and ▁forced ▁to ▁operate ▁continu ously ▁on ▁wounded ▁loyal ist ▁soldiers ▁since ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁battle . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 7 ▁August , ▁re bel ▁forces ▁attempted ▁to ▁take ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁oil ▁ref in ery ▁from ▁G add af i ▁forces . ▁They ▁claimed ▁to ▁have ▁shut ▁down ▁all ▁oil ▁pip elines ▁to ▁the ▁capital . ▁During ▁the ▁battle ▁for ▁the ▁ref in ery ▁complex , ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 0 0 ▁G add