Libyan rebels advance in battle against Gaddafi

FE Team | Published: March 28, 2011 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

BIN JAWAD (Libya), Mar 27 (agencies): Libyan rebels pushed westwards in hot pursuit of Muammar Gaddafi's forces on Sunday, winning back control of the key Ras Lanuf oil site and pressing on towards Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, a central coastal city. Along the way they captured Bin Jawad, a hamlet 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Ras Lanuf. The rebels, on the verge of losing their eastern stronghold city of Benghazi before the air strikes began on March 19, on Saturday seized back Ajdabiya and Brega, 160 and 240 kilometres (100 and 150 miles) to the west. Spurred on by the air war, the ragtag rebel band thrust another 100 kilometres past Brega to win back Ras Lanuf, routing Gaddafi loyalists. Libyan rebels said they are moving towards Muammar Gaddafi's heartland, after seizing the eastern coastal towns of Ras Lanuf, Brega and Uqayla following the withdrawal of pro-Gaddafi forces -- under pressure from allied air strikes -- withdrew. France says its aircraft destroyed at least five Libyan government jets and two helicopters on Saturday night. France, one of the coalition countries enforcing a UN no-fly zone aimed at protecting civilians, says this happened at a government air base near rebel-held Misrata, which has become a key focus for the battle in western Libya. Misrata is the only significant rebel-held city left in the west, and has been under heavy bombardment for days. The Libyan government says coalition forces have been carrying out air strikes between Ajdabiya and the town of Sirte, a major pro-Gaddafi stronghold. In the capital Tripoli, government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said: "We are losing many lives, military and civilians." British Defence Secretary Liam Fox said in London that coalition countries attacking targets in Libya will not supply arms to anti-Gaddafi rebels, despite reports that this is being actively considered. Dr Fox said there was a UN arms embargo across the entire country, adding "We have to accept that." The rebellion against Col Gaddafi's four decades in power began in mid-February, inspired by uprisings in neighbouring Egypt and Tunisia which saw the leaders there overthrown. Libyan officials say the strikes have killed nearly 100 civilians. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said there were intelligence reports that Col Gaddafi's forces have taken the bodies of people killed in their own attacks and placed them at the site of air strikes in an attempt to blame the coalition for their deaths. In his weekly address, US President Barack Obama said that the "clear and focused" military mission in Libya was succeeding. "Make no mistake, because we acted quickly, a humanitarian catastrophe has been avoided and the lives of countless civilians -- innocent men, women and children -- have been saved," he said. Foreign ministers from more than 35 countries have so far confirmed they will attend a London conference Tuesday to discuss coalition military action against Libya, Britain's Foreign Office said.