"Many soldiers want to surrender but they are afraid of being executed" by the rebels, said Lili Mohammed, a Mauritanian mercenary hired by the regime of strongman Moamer Kadhafi to fight insurgents in Libya`s third city.
Many soldiers are trading their military fatigues for civilian clothes "in order to flee from Misrata," he added.
Both Mohammed and Libyan student-turned-soldier Misbah Mansuri, 25, who was forced into joining the regime forces, were captured on Sunday after being wounded in fighting with rebels in Misrata.
They spoke to AFP separately from their hospital room in the presence of a doctor, saying that officers had abandoned the troops and their supply lines were cut.
"Kadhafi forces are losing" in Misrata, said Mansuri, who is from Kadhafi`s home town of Sirte and who said he was forcibly enlisted 45 days ago.
"Many soldiers don`t agree with what is happening here," he said.
"They gave us orders to open fire on anyone in the streets, even women and children."
Mansuri, who is wounded in both legs, said he was given 20 days` weapons training before being sent two weeks ago to Misrata.
The Mauritanian mercenary said he had been fighting in loyalist ranks for two months but insisted that he had not killed anyone.
"The officers said `you fight or you die`," Mohammed said, adding that he accepted the job because he could not make ends meet in Mauritania.
"There is no work, no money in Mauritania," said the 49-year-old, who has a bullet wound in the chest.
Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled Kaim said early on Sunday the army had suspended operations against rebels in Misrata but had not left the city, to enable local tribes to find a peaceful solution.
Both captured soldiers said they had been ordered to leave Misrata.(*)
(U.KR-BPY/O001)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
