lastes news from Ivory Coast: UN forces fire on pro-Gbagbo camp : source-BBC news

French and UN helicopters have fired on military camps operated by Ivory Coast incumbent leader Laurent Gbagbo, in an effort to halt attacks on civilians.

The presidential palace was also hit in the helicopter attacks, witnesses said.
The strikes came as fighters backing Mr Gbagbo's rival Alassane Ouattara stepped up their attempts to take control of the main city, Abidjan.
Mr Gbagbo has refused to quit despite UN-approved results saying Mr Ouattara won an election last November.
'Tipping point'
In recent days, pro-Ouattara forces have launched a sustained assault, sweeping down from their northern strongholds to capture the rest of the country.
Witnesses say they met little resistance until reaching the main city of Abidjan, a Gbagbo stronghold.

UN helicopters have been circling over Abidjan for days

For five days, the city has been engulfed in fighting, and pro-Ouattara commanders say they have now launched their final assault on the city and expect to take it in a matter of days.
Many residents in Abidjan, a city of five million people, are said to be trapped indoors without food, water and electricity.
The UN said an attack helicopter had fired missiles at heavy weapons in a pro-Gbagbo military camp.
An Abidjan resident told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that the military base had been under attack for an hour.
"There was a helicopter noise, we heard a bombing, and the house was shaking," the resident said.
France's military fired on another camp, saying the UN had asked for urgent help to take out heavy weaponry and protect civilians.
Paris-based Gbagbo spokesman Toussaint Alain said the helicopter strikes were "illegal, illegitimate and unacceptable".
"France has gone to war against Ivory Coast," he said