Libya: Government and rebels still battling for Brega

Posted on March 16, 2011 | Leave a comment

March 15, 2011

Heavy fighting has been continuing in Libya between government and rebel forces for the oil town of Brega. The town has changed hands several times over recent days. Reports now suggest the rebels are losing control. In the west, government forces appear to have retaken Zuwara and are shelling Misrata city.  After a meeting in France, the G8 group of nations urged action against Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, but made no mention of a no-fly zone. United Nations diplomats have meanwhile said they expect to circulate a draft resolution on Libya to UN Security Council members later on Tuesday. Government planes have also been bombing the outskirts of Ajdabiya, the last town before the rebel base in Benghazi. The sound of rocket fire has been getting louder in the town, while the frequency of ambulances and trucks bringing wounded to the main hospital has been increasing, AFP news agency reports. Libyan state TV says the government has gained control of the town, but this has not been independently verified, and reports suggest that fighting is continuing. In Brega, it seems rebel fighters have been hiding inside the oil installation in the daytime, in the belief that the government does not want to shell the facility, says the BBC’s Jon Leyne in Benghazi. Opposition sources are also saying there are divisions within the government ranks, with some troops apparently reluctant to fire on civilians, our correspondent adds.

>>> continued on libya page <<<

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