Bin Jawad is the latest town to fall as Libyan Freedom Figters rapid advance to west takes them closer to Gaddafi-held Sirte.
Libyan Freedom Figters are moving westwards towards a possible showdown with dictator Muammar Gaddafi's forces.
Opposition forces backed by coalition air strikes have already seized control of the key towns of Bin Jawad, Ras Lanuf, Uqayla, Brega and Ajdabiya in a rapid advance along the coastline.
Meanwhile, the next town in the Libyan Freedom Figters path, Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, was reported to be under attack by coalition warplanes for the first time late on Sunday, according to Libyan state television.
Coalition air strikes against targets in Tripoli also resumed on Sunday night with explosions heard in the Tripoli. Gaddafi's Brutal forces appeared to be withdrawing eastwards. Those still in Bin Jawad, the latest town to fall to freedom figters, surrendered without a fight.
"It seems there has a been withdrawal and a surrender of Gaddafi's bloody forces, not a battle. They removed some of their vehicles that were not bombed further up the road but they removed these vehicles in haste." one of the Cilivians said.
The Freedom Fighters Main Target is to head west towards tripoli through on and only coastal road exist their. The problem they are going to face is the huge roadblock ahead of them and that's town Sirte which is a Gaddafi's stronghold where many of his troops are located but with support from coalition froces, freedom figters might not find it that hard.
Bin Jawad is the latest town to fall as Libyan Freedom Figters rapid advance to west takes them closer to Gaddafi-held Sirte.
Libyan Freedom Figters are moving westwards towards a possible showdown with dictator Muammar Gaddafi's forces.
Opposition forces backed by coalition air strikes have already seized control of the key towns of Bin Jawad, Ras Lanuf, Uqayla, Brega and Ajdabiya in a rapid advance along the coastline.
Meanwhile, the next town in the Libyan Freedom Figters path, Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte, was reported to be under attack by coalition warplanes for the first time late on Sunday, according to Libyan state television.
Coalition air strikes against targets in Tripoli also resumed on Sunday night with explosions heard in the Tripoli. Gaddafi's Brutal forces appeared to be withdrawing eastwards. Those still in Bin Jawad, the latest town to fall to freedom figters, surrendered without a fight.
"It seems there has a been withdrawal and a surrender of Gaddafi's bloody forces, not a battle. They removed some of their vehicles that were not bombed further up the road but they removed these vehicles in haste." one of the Cilivians said.
The Freedom Fighters Main Target is to head west towards tripoli through on and only coastal road exist their. The problem they are going to face is the huge roadblock ahead of them and that's town Sirte which is a Gaddafi's stronghold where many of his troops are located but with support from coalition froces, freedom figters might not find it that hard.
Videos of freedom fighters in libya
Dictator and possible war criminal Muammar Gaddafi's forces are slowly pushing towards the main oppostion-held towns in Libya, reports say.
Ajdabiya, the last major town before the freedom fighter base in Benghazi, came under heavy aerial attack. In the west, ground forces and tanks have begun shelling the town of Zuwara. Freedom fighters say they have retaken Brega, but the government has denied the claim.
Earlier, the UN Security Council met to discuss the imposition of a no-fly zone, but there was no consensus. The BBC's Barbara Plett says there were divisions about authorising such a zone, with France calling it a game-changer, but countries such as Russia expressed caution, saying serious questions remained.
Meanwhile, a UN envoy, Abdul Ilah Khatib, has met with Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Kusa in Tripoli.In the meeting, Mr Khatib, a former Jordanian foreign minister, reiterated demands for an end to the violence and requested access for humanitarian groups, a UN spokesman said.
With fighting continuing in the east of Libya, it is not clear exactly where the front line is.The eastern oil town of Brega changed hands several times over the weekend, amid a relentless barrage of air and ground attacks by government forces.
Sources; BBC, Al Jazeera
Videos of freedom fighters in libya
Dictator and possible war criminal Muammar Gaddafi's forces are slowly pushing towards the main oppostion-held towns in Libya, reports say.
Ajdabiya, the last major town before the freedom fighter base in Benghazi, came under heavy aerial attack. In the west, ground forces and tanks have begun shelling the town of Zuwara. Freedom fighters say they have retaken Brega, but the government has denied the claim.
Earlier, the UN Security Council met to discuss the imposition of a no-fly zone, but there was no consensus. The BBC's Barbara Plett says there were divisions about authorising such a zone, with France calling it a game-changer, but countries such as Russia expressed caution, saying serious questions remained.
Meanwhile, a UN envoy, Abdul Ilah Khatib, has met with Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Kusa in Tripoli.In the meeting, Mr Khatib, a former Jordanian foreign minister, reiterated demands for an end to the violence and requested access for humanitarian groups, a UN spokesman said.
With fighting continuing in the east of Libya, it is not clear exactly where the front line is.The eastern oil town of Brega changed hands several times over the weekend, amid a relentless barrage of air and ground attacks by government forces.
Sources; BBC, Al Jazeera
According to state TV reports, Dictator Gaddafi's forces had regained key oil town and freedom fighters fall back towards eastern strongholds.
Libyan armed forces loyal to Dictator and possible suspect of war crimes Muammar Gaddafi have cleared "armed gangs" from the oil-rich town of Brega in the east, an army source told state television on Sunday.
"Brega has been cleansed of armed gangs," the military source was quoted as saying. The report could not immediately be verified. State television has in the past issued false reports claiming territory.
But the claim comes amid a string of setbacks for the rebels who have lost several cities in the east to pro-Gaddafi forces. Brega's fall into the hands of Gaddafi loyalists would deal a further blow to the opposition's morale and momentum.
Pro-Gaddafi forces have been swiftly advancing on the poorly equipped and loosely organised freedom fighters who had seized much of the eastern parts of the country since the uprising against Gaddafi's decades-long rule began last month.
On Saturday, pro-Gaddafi forces pushed the frontline deeper into freedom fighters territory to just 40km outside Brega, the site of a major oil terminal.
The AFP news agency quoted freedom fighter sources as saying dictators forces were advancing from the west after seizing the town of Uqayla and the village of Bisher 20km from Brega.
Retreating freedom fighters, most of them young, were seen on trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns along the coastal road heading towards Ajdabiya, 80km away, the gateway to the main freedom fighters cities of Benghazi and Tobruk.
No air activity was seen but artillery bombardments were continuing, according to freedom fighters.
"We have to remember that this is not an organised army. This is a group of teachers, engineers, street cleaners - people who have had no association with weapons whatsoever. And now they're coming up against very strong, well-equipped forces. And we are seeing a lot of casualties. Basically if it is not sorted out soon, then those casualty figures are going to go up and up and up.It's not a very good situation at the moment; it is not looking very positive, quite the reverse." Tony Birtley (Al Jazeera), reporting from the rebel stronghold of Benghazi said.
International pressure is growing for a no-fly zone to be imposed over Libya but the move, approved in a key resolution by the Arab League on Saturday in Cairo, still faces opposition from UN Security Council heavyweights Russia and China.
Libya responded to the Arab League resolution calling it "an unacceptable departure" from the body's charter, state television said on Sunday.
The US hailed the Arab League decision as an "important step".
According to state TV reports, Dictator Gaddafi's forces had regained key oil town and freedom fighters fall back towards eastern strongholds.
Libyan armed forces loyal to Dictator and possible suspect of war crimes Muammar Gaddafi have cleared "armed gangs" from the oil-rich town of Brega in the east, an army source told state television on Sunday.
"Brega has been cleansed of armed gangs," the military source was quoted as saying. The report could not immediately be verified. State television has in the past issued false reports claiming territory.
But the claim comes amid a string of setbacks for the rebels who have lost several cities in the east to pro-Gaddafi forces. Brega's fall into the hands of Gaddafi loyalists would deal a further blow to the opposition's morale and momentum.
Pro-Gaddafi forces have been swiftly advancing on the poorly equipped and loosely organised freedom fighters who had seized much of the eastern parts of the country since the uprising against Gaddafi's decades-long rule began last month.
On Saturday, pro-Gaddafi forces pushed the frontline deeper into freedom fighters territory to just 40km outside Brega, the site of a major oil terminal.
The AFP news agency quoted freedom fighter sources as saying dictators forces were advancing from the west after seizing the town of Uqayla and the village of Bisher 20km from Brega.
Retreating freedom fighters, most of them young, were seen on trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns along the coastal road heading towards Ajdabiya, 80km away, the gateway to the main freedom fighters cities of Benghazi and Tobruk.
No air activity was seen but artillery bombardments were continuing, according to freedom fighters.
"We have to remember that this is not an organised army. This is a group of teachers, engineers, street cleaners - people who have had no association with weapons whatsoever. And now they're coming up against very strong, well-equipped forces. And we are seeing a lot of casualties. Basically if it is not sorted out soon, then those casualty figures are going to go up and up and up.It's not a very good situation at the moment; it is not looking very positive, quite the reverse." Tony Birtley (Al Jazeera), reporting from the rebel stronghold of Benghazi said.
International pressure is growing for a no-fly zone to be imposed over Libya but the move, approved in a key resolution by the Arab League on Saturday in Cairo, still faces opposition from UN Security Council heavyweights Russia and China.
Libya responded to the Arab League resolution calling it "an unacceptable departure" from the body's charter, state television said on Sunday.
The US hailed the Arab League decision as an "important step".
Opposition backed Rebel forces routed troops loyal to Dictator Moammar Gadhafi in a fierce battle over an oil port on Wednesday in Brega, scrambling over the dunes of a Mediterranean beach through shelling and an airstrike to corner their attackers. While they thwarted the regime's first counteroffensive in eastern Libya, opposition leaders still pleaded for outside airstrikes to help them oust the longtime leader.
The attack on Brega, a strategic oil facility 460 miles (740 kilometers) east of Gadhafi's stronghold in Tripoli, illustrated the deep difficulties the Libyan leader's armed forces — an array of militiamen, mercenaries and military units — have had in rolling back the uprising that has swept over the entire eastern half of Libya since Feb. 15.
In the capital of Tripoli, Gadhafi warned against U.S. or other Western intervention, vowing to turn Libya into "another Vietnam," and saying any foreign troops coming into his country "will be entering hell and they will drown in blood."
At least 10 anti-Gadhafi fighters were killed and 18 wounded in the battle for Brega, Libya's second- largest petroleum facility, which the opposition has held since last week. Citizen militias flowed in from a nearby city and from the opposition stronghold of Benghazi hours away to reinforce the defense, finally repelling the regime loyalists.
The attack began just after dawn, when several hundred pro-Gadhafi forces in 50 trucks and SUVs mounted with machine guns descended on the port, driving out a small opposition contingent and seizing control of the oil facilities, port and airstrip. But by afternoon, they had lost it all and had retreated to a university campus 5 miles (7 kilometers) away.There, opposition fighters besieged them, clambering from the beach up a hill to the campus as mortars and heavy machine gun fire blasted around them, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene. They took cover behind grassy dunes, firing back with assault rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers.
At one point, a warplane struck in the dunes to try to disperse them, but it caused no casualties and the siege continued. "The dogs have fled," one middle-aged fighter shouted, waving his Kalashnikov over his head in victory after Gadhafi's forces withdrew from the town before dusk. Car horns honked and people fired assault rifles in the air in celebration.
For the past week, pro-Gadhafi forces have been focusing on the west, securing Tripoli and trying to take back nearby rebel-held cities. But the regime has seemed to struggle to bring an overwhelming force to bear against cities largely defended by local residents using weapons looted from storehouses and backed by allied army units.
Pro-Gadhafi forces succeeded over the weekend in retaking two small towns. But the major western rebel-held cities of Zawiya and Misrata, near Tripoli, have repelled repeated, major attacks — including new forays against Zawiya on Wednesday.
Opposition backed Rebel forces routed troops loyal to Dictator Moammar Gadhafi in a fierce battle over an oil port on Wednesday in Brega, scrambling over the dunes of a Mediterranean beach through shelling and an airstrike to corner their attackers. While they thwarted the regime's first counteroffensive in eastern Libya, opposition leaders still pleaded for outside airstrikes to help them oust the longtime leader.
The attack on Brega, a strategic oil facility 460 miles (740 kilometers) east of Gadhafi's stronghold in Tripoli, illustrated the deep difficulties the Libyan leader's armed forces — an array of militiamen, mercenaries and military units — have had in rolling back the uprising that has swept over the entire eastern half of Libya since Feb. 15.
In the capital of Tripoli, Gadhafi warned against U.S. or other Western intervention, vowing to turn Libya into "another Vietnam," and saying any foreign troops coming into his country "will be entering hell and they will drown in blood."
At least 10 anti-Gadhafi fighters were killed and 18 wounded in the battle for Brega, Libya's second- largest petroleum facility, which the opposition has held since last week. Citizen militias flowed in from a nearby city and from the opposition stronghold of Benghazi hours away to reinforce the defense, finally repelling the regime loyalists.
The attack began just after dawn, when several hundred pro-Gadhafi forces in 50 trucks and SUVs mounted with machine guns descended on the port, driving out a small opposition contingent and seizing control of the oil facilities, port and airstrip. But by afternoon, they had lost it all and had retreated to a university campus 5 miles (7 kilometers) away.There, opposition fighters besieged them, clambering from the beach up a hill to the campus as mortars and heavy machine gun fire blasted around them, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene. They took cover behind grassy dunes, firing back with assault rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers.
At one point, a warplane struck in the dunes to try to disperse them, but it caused no casualties and the siege continued. "The dogs have fled," one middle-aged fighter shouted, waving his Kalashnikov over his head in victory after Gadhafi's forces withdrew from the town before dusk. Car horns honked and people fired assault rifles in the air in celebration.
For the past week, pro-Gadhafi forces have been focusing on the west, securing Tripoli and trying to take back nearby rebel-held cities. But the regime has seemed to struggle to bring an overwhelming force to bear against cities largely defended by local residents using weapons looted from storehouses and backed by allied army units.
Pro-Gadhafi forces succeeded over the weekend in retaking two small towns. But the major western rebel-held cities of Zawiya and Misrata, near Tripoli, have repelled repeated, major attacks — including new forays against Zawiya on Wednesday.
