Heavy gunfire heard near hotel in central Tripoli

A member of the media runs because due to the noise from gunfire at the Rixos hotel in Tripoli, August 23, 2011.

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - The sound of heavy gunfire could be heard on Wednesday coming from the area around the Rixos hotel in Libya's capital, said a Reuters reporter, who was near the hotel.

The reporter said he could hear small-arms fire and the sound of anti-aircraft guns, which are used by both sides in the conflict to attack targets on the ground. A group of foreign reporters is inside the Rixos hotel, and has been prevented from leaving by armed men loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.

(Reporting by Ulf Laessing; Writing by Christian Lowe; Editing by Andrew Roche)