Misrata, Libya's third-largest city, had been continuously besieged by government forces after being occupied by the Libyan opposition. After negotiations with NATO and the opposition broke down, Gaddafi finally resolved to attack.
Gao Yang and his companions set out at dawn and arrived at the outskirts of Misrata by morning. Gao Yang thought there would still be some time before they had to engage in combat, but what he hadn't expected was that Brigade 32 had already launched an attack.
As Libya's most elite force, Brigade 32 was equipped with tanks, artillery, and a few aircraft and missiles, but this heavy equipment was of little use in street battles. Hamis did not want to send his biggest trump card, Battalion 32, to die in street warfare, so they simply bombarded and besieged Misrata. Almost all the troops sent into the city for street battles were mercenaries.