ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara’s forces battled loyalists of incumbent Laurent Gbagbo on Friday after attacking his Abidjan residence and seizing control of Ivory Coast’s state television, a Ouattara spokesman said.

A military source in Gbagbo’s camp confirmed the attack overnight on Gbagbo’s residence but said that pro-Gbagbo forces were still putting up resistance at state broadcaster, RTI. Residents in the area confirmed heavy fighting.

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Fighters loyal to presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara attacked the residence of incumbent Laurent Gbagbo in Abidjan early on Friday and seized control of Ivory Coast’s state television, a Ouattara spokesman said.

A military source in Gbagbo’s camp confirmed the attack on Gbagbo’s residence but said that pro-Gbagbo forces were still putting up resistance at state broadcaster, RTI. Residents in the area confirmed heavy fighting.

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Heavy weapons fire rang out in central Abidjan on Thursday after presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara’s forces marched into Ivory Coast’s main city, and his camp said incumbent Laurent Gbagbo had just hours left in power.

Residents reported heavy fighting near the state broadcaster, RTI, as well as in neighborhoods in the south of the city after pro-Ouattara forces swiftly advanced on the lagoon-side city from several directions.

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Forces loyal to Ivory Coast’s Alassane Ouattara seized the major cocoa port of San Pedro overnight, continuing an offensive that has seen them take swathes of the country to try to oust leader Laurent Gbagbo.

Residents and combatants from both sides said the rebels were in control and were patrolling the town, and that it was now largely calm apart from some sporadic shooting.

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – A final assault by rebel forces to chase Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo from power could be mere hours away, and his choice to fight or flee may determine whether or not his country descends into a bloodbath.

Forces backing Ivory Coast’s Alassane Ouattara, internationally recognised to have won a November election that Gbagbo refuses to concede, have made huge gains in the past two days, seizing swathes of territory in the centre, east and west.

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – A final assault by rebel forces to chase Ivory Coast’s Laurent Gbagbo from power could be mere hours away, and his choice to fight or flee may determine whether or not his country descends into a bloodbath.

Forces backing Ivory Coast’s Alassane Ouattara, internationally recognized to have won a November election that Gbagbo refuses to concede, have made huge gains in the past two days, seizing swathes of territory in the center, east and west.

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Forces loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara advanced on Tuesday to within 200 km (120 miles) of the two main port cities in an intensifying offensive against incumbent Laurent Gbagbo.

The United Nations said forces loyal to Gbagbo opened fire on civilians in the commercial capital Abidjan on Monday, killing about 10. Gbagbo’s government spokesman dismissed the report and said Abidjan was “impregnable” to rebel attack.

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Forces loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara seized two major towns in the western cocoa belt in an offensive that is also picking up momentum in the east of the country.

In a sign of how bloody the West African state’s post-election conflict has become, forces loyal to Ouattara’s rival, incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo, opened fire on civilians in Abidjan on Monday, killing about 10, the United Nations peacekeeping mission said in a statement.

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Forces loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara seized two towns in the heart of the western cocoa belt overnight, in an offensive that may enable them to move toward a major port.

Witnesses and fighters from both sides said on Tuesday that the former rebels, who have controlled northern Ivory Coast since the civil war of 2002-3, had seized Daloa from incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo’s troops.

ABIDJAN (Reuters) – Alassane Ouattara, Ivory Coast’s internationally recognized president, has rejected the African Union’s nomination of an envoy to negotiate an end to the crisis in the country, questioning his impartiality.

The AU on Saturday appointed Jose Brito, Cape Verde’s former foreign minister, to oversee talks meant to result in incumbent Laurent Gbagbo stepping down in favor of Ouattara, who would lead a unity government to end a crisis that has pushed the country to the brink of war.