"The sea-mines were being laid two to three kilometres offshore and in the approaches to Misrata by deliberately sinking the inflatable boats on which they were being carried," NATO said in a statement.

Three mines were found early Friday and were being disarmed, the 28-nation alliance said.

NATO warned Misrata port authorities, who closed the facility, prompting the cancellation of the arrival of two humanitarian ships, the statement said.

"The mining of a civilian port by pro-Kadhafi forces is clearly designed to disrupt the lawful flow of humanitarian aid to the innocent civilian people of Libya," said Italian Navy Vice Admiral Rinaldo Veri.

The move by Moamer Kadhafi's forces was "another deliberate violation" of the UN Security Council resolution which demands that Libyan authorities allow the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian assistance.

"NATO forces are now actively engaged in countering the mine threat to ensure the flow of aid continues," said Veri, who is responsible for the maritime forces involved in NATO's Operation Unified Protector.

He urged civilian shipping companies to continue to coordinate their movements with NATO in order to provide for the safe transit of shipping in the region.

Kadhafi's regime threatened late Friday to attack any ship entering Misrata, insisting aid be sent by road and under Libyan army supervision, state television said.

With Kadhafi forces laying siege outside the shell-shocked city, Misrata relies heavily on its port for the delivery of food via aid ships.

British Brigadier Rob Weighill, director of NATO operations in Libya, said earlier that the discovery of the mines shows Kadhafi's "complete disregard for international law and his willingness to attack humanitarian delivery efforts".

While NATO has helped the rebels expel regime forces from Misrata, Weighill said it was too soon to say the insurgents were winning the battle for Libya's third largest city.

"We have pushed pro-Kadhafi forces back and anti-Kadhafi forces boast control of most of the city. Due in large part to NATO's mission successes to date, Kadhafi forces have not taken the city," Weighill said.

"But pro-Kadhafi forces continue to shell the citizens of Misrata with longer-range artillery, mortars and rockets, indiscriminately firing high explosives," he said.

The rebels have "expanded their perimetre significantly over the past week" and "are putting up a very spirited fight", Weighill added.

He added, however, that "to suggest that they are winning would perhaps be over optimistic".

NATO is supporting anti-Kadhafi forces trying to protect the population and facilitate the movement of humanitarian assistance through the harbour, Weighill said.

"I would suggest that without NATO support as it is at the moment, certainly the anti-Kadhafi forces would have struggled to have maintained that perimetre and to have taken as much ground as they have," he said.

"The degree to which humanitarian assistance has come into the harbour and the evacuation of many people would not have been able to take place."

earlier related report
Clinton to attend Rome talks on Libya conflict: US
Washington (AFP) April 29, 2011 - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will visit Rome next week for fresh talks on how to help the rebels fighting in Libya and protect civilians caught in the cross-fire, US officials said Friday.

The talks will focus on how to supply arms to the rebels battling Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi and whether to allow them to sell oil on international markets, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has said.

"Clinton will travel to Rome, Italy May 4-6 to participate in a meeting of the Libya Contact Group," the State Department's acting deputy spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.

This will be the second official meeting of the contact group after one in Doha on April 13, which was attended by leaders of the Libyan opposition's shadow government, the Transitional National Council.

The group composed of Western countries, Turkey, Arab states, the United Nations, Arab League and NATO was set up in London on March 29.

The new talks "will build on" the Doha meeting and "will allow the United States to discuss with its international partners the ongoing implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973," Toner said.

Resolution 1970, adopted February 26 after Colonel Moamer Kadhafi's regime launched a bloody crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising, imposes bans on assets and travel on members of the regime as well as an arms embargo.

Adopted on March 17, the second resolution authorized "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians, including air strikes on Kadhafi's ground forces and a no-fly zone.

It also called for an immediate ceasefire and for the regime to allow in emergency relief.

Toner said Clinton will also conduct a series of bilateral meetings, including with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, President Giorgio Napolitano, and top Italian diplomat Frattini.

Philip Gordon, the assistant secretary for Europe and Eurasian affairs, and Jeffrey Feltman, the assistant secretary for Near East affairs, will travel to the Italian capital with Clinton.

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