Attack on Gbagbo bunker in Ivory Coast repelled

By Tim Cocks and Ange Aboa

ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Forces loyal to Ivory Coast presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara launched a heavy attack on Wednesday on the bunker where Laurent Gbagbo is holed up but appeared to have been repelled, a Western military source said.

Fighting raged for a third straight day in the economic capital Abidjan as Ouattara's forces tried to unseat Gbagbo, who has refused to cede power after losing a November election to Ouattara, according to U.N.-certified results.

The source, who lives near Gbagbo's heavily defended residence in Abidjan, said fighting had died down in the afternoon and Ouattara's forces had regrouped.

"As I understand it, they tried to take Gbagbo residence this morning. The assault failed," said the source, speaking on condition of anonimity.

"They could not break through the resistance from all the heavy weapons still hidden around Gbagbo's residence. They pulled back to rethink and replan."

A spokeswoman for Ouattara denied that his forces had retreated but could not provide any details about the ongoing assault and could not say whether fighting continued.

Residents had earlier reported gunfire from heavy weapons around the residence, which is guarded by youth militias and Gbagbo's presidential guard.

"The fighting is terrible here, the explosions are so heavy my building is shaking," resident Alfred Kouassi told Reuters.