France steps up move to impose no-fly zone over Libya

AJDABIYA (Libya), Mar 14 (Agencies) : Libyan strongman Moamer Gaddafi's forces shelled rebel positions Monday on the doorstep of Ajdabiya, a key town which the revolution against his rule has vowed to defend at all costs. Gaddafi's forces have won a string of victories in recent days and if the gateway town of Ajdabiya falls it would leave open the roads to the rebel headquarters city of Benghazi and the key northeastern port of Tobruk. As the leaders of the world's great powers (G8) met in Paris to discuss possible military action in support of the rebellion, the regime's troops were pushing eastwards, slowly choking off rebel held territory. Rebel forces in Libya say they have retaken the eastern oil town of Brega, capturing a number of elite government troops and killing others. The statement has not been independently confirmed. On the diplomatic front, France is stepping up its efforts to persuade the United Nations Security Council to impose a no-fly zone over Libya, a proposal backed by the UK and the Arab League. The rebel military commander based in Libya's second city, Benghazi, has also appealed for a no-fly zone, saying his fighters have no answer to Gaddafi's air power, says the BBC's Jon Leyne from the rebel stronghold. The British Foreign Secretary, William Hague, has said Libya risks becoming a "pariah state" if Gaddafi holds on to power. China, the only veto-wielding member of the Security Council not represented at the Paris G8 talks, is opposed to a no-fly zone. Meanwhile, another report adds, troops from a number of Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, have arrived in Bahrain in response to a request from the small Gulf kingdom, officials say. It came a day after the worst violence since seven anti-government protesters were killed in clashes with security forces last month. Dozens of people were injured Sunday as protesters pushed back police and barricaded roads. Bahrain's opposition said the foreign troops amounted to an occupation. A Saudi official said about 1,000 Saudi Arabian troops arrived in Bahrain early Monday.