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The fighters of the National Transitional Council (NTC), Libya's new ruling body, had taken control of the hotel on Monday.
The NTC fighters and Kadhafi's diehards clashed "in street fights and shot at each other from close range with Kalashnikovs and rocket-propelled-grenades" on Tuesday, the commander said.
"There was heavy fighting after which at around 7:30 pm NATO carried out several strikes" on Kadhafi's forces, he said.
The commander whose troops are deployed at the frontline said that NTC casualties were high "because a lot of our fighters went on foot and several of them did not know the city well and faced heavy fire from Kadhafi's forces".
"It was a bad day but inshallah this Friday we will hold prayers inside Sirte. We will also use heavy force now," he added.
He also said that clashes were reported Tuesday around Sirte port which the fighters had captured overnight.
He further said that NTC fighters had advanced up to the centre of Sirte and then retreated, taking positions on the outskirts of the city.
"Several fighters who advanced up to the city centre have taken pictures and filmed mobile videos in the city centre," he added.
The battle for Sirte has intensifed in the past few days with NTC forces encircling Kadhafi's bastion from the west, the east and the south.
The NTC figthers AFP spoke to said Tuesday's casualties would not deter them from pushing ahead inside Sirte.
"We knew this would happen. We were expecting face-to-face fighting and that is what is happening. Today's casualties make us more determined to push ahead and finish Kadhafi," said Maatiz Saad, a pharmacy student turned fighter, speaking in English.
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The NTC fighters and Kadhafi's diehards clashed "in street fights and shot at each other from close range with Kalashnikovs and rocket-propelled-grenades" on Tuesday, the commander said.
"There was heavy fighting after which at around 7:30 pm NATO carried out several strikes" on Kadhafi's forces, he said.
The commander whose troops are deployed at the frontline said that NTC casualties were high "because a lot of our fighters went on foot and several of them did not know the city well and faced heavy fire from Kadhafi's forces".
"It was a bad day but inshallah this Friday we will hold prayers inside Sirte. We will also use heavy force now," he added.
He also said that clashes were reported Tuesday around Sirte port which the fighters had captured overnight.
He further said that NTC fighters had advanced up to the centre of Sirte and then retreated, taking positions on the outskirts of the city.
"Several fighters who advanced up to the city centre have taken pictures and filmed mobile videos in the city centre," he added.
The battle for Sirte has intensifed in the past few days with NTC forces encircling Kadhafi's bastion from the west, the east and the south.
The NTC figthers AFP spoke to said Tuesday's casualties would not deter them from pushing ahead inside Sirte.
"We knew this would happen. We were expecting face-to-face fighting and that is what is happening. Today's casualties make us more determined to push ahead and finish Kadhafi," said Maatiz Saad, a pharmacy student turned fighter, speaking in English.
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