GADDIFI TOPPLED!!!!!TRIPOLI CELEBRATING!!!!!!!!

Al Jazeera:

Libyan rebels push to isolate Tripoli
Opposition forces continue western offensive, as Libyan interior minister lands in Egyptian capital.
Last Modified: 15 Aug 2011 19:47

Libyan rebels say they now control most of the strategic western town of Az-Zawiyah, as they continue an offensive aimed at isolating Tripoli, the country's capital.

The rebel push comes as Abdul Ilah al-Khatib, the United Nations' envoy on the Libyan conflict, arrived in Tunis, the Tunisian capital, where the country's foreign ministry said that he was due to meet with representives from Libya.

Both the United Nations and the Libyan rebel National Transitional Council in Benghazi denied that direct talks between the rebels and the Gaddafi government were taking place in Tunisia.

Meanwhile, Egyptian airport officials said Nassr al-Mabrouk Abdullah, the Libyan interior minister, had arrived in Cairo earlier on Monday, accompanied by his family members.


The officials said the minister landed just before noon at the Cairo international airport, with nine members of his family.

They said he arrived on a special plane from Tunisia and told Egyptian officials that he was "on a tourist visit''.

The airport officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to talk to the media.

No officials from the Libyan embassy in Cairo were at the airport to greet the minister. Libyan officials were not immediately available for comment.

Western front fighting

In Az-Zawiyah, rebel commanders said they controlled most of the town, but that they were still taking sniper fire from forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader.

The rebel assault on Az-Zawiyah and its neighbouring towns began on Saturday, as they sought to cut off the southern coastal route from Tunisia which Gaddafi has been using to resupply.

Zeina Khodr, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Az-Zawiyah, reported that the rebels had taken control of a bridge along which the highway from Tripoli to Tunisia runs, but that central areas of the city remained contested, with Gaddafi forces employing snipers and mortar fire, as well Grad rockets.

On Sunday, Bashir Ahmed Ali, the rebels' battalion commander in Az-Zawiyah, said that his forces had suffered "many casualties" due to sniper fire.

He also told the AFP news agency that a tank and four fighters had been lost in a "friendly fire" air strike during the operation to take Az-Zawiyah.

On Monday, rebels said they were focusing on capturing or killing the snipers and clearing out any other pro-government forces left in the town.

The rebels have taken Az-Zawiyah twice before, only to lose it to government counter-offensives.

The opposition says it is being more cautious on this occasion. It arrested at least 15 people it alleged were mercenaries on Monday.

Almost all the shops in the town remained shuttered on Monday.

'Hundreds of volunteers'

The rebels say that they have also taken the towns of Surman, 60km west of Tripoli and Garyan, 50km to the south.

Moussa Ibrahim, the Libyan government's spokesman, acknowledged that there were "problems" in Surman, but said that "hundreds of volunteers" backed by the army were "handling the case".

He also acknowledged that the rebels had entered Garyan.

Clashes were also reported on Monday in the eastern oil town of Brega, where the rebels say they now control two-thirds of the town.

Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, reporting from Brega, said that the town showed signs of intensive fighting having taken place, and that the rebels were continuing a push to take the oil terminal and industrial area.

The government denied on Sunday that rebel forces controlled any part of Brega.

Opposition forces hope that if they can take complete control of the city, its oil terminal and sea port will allow them to resume oil exports, and will give them a key staging area on the road to Sirte, a Gaddafi stronghold.

Gaddafi broadcast

Gaddafi had earlier urged his supporters to fight for the country "inch by inch" in an audio message broadcast on state television with no images.

Facing the sternest challenge of his decades-long rule, Gaddafi called on Monday for Libyans to arm themselves to liberate the country from "traitors and from NATO".

The speech was the first time he had spoken in public since rebel fighters launched their biggest offensive in months.

"The Libyan people will remain and the Fateh revolution [which brought Gaddafi to power in 1969] will remain," Gaddafi said.

"Move forward, challenge, pick up your weapons, go to the fight for liberating Libya inch by inch from the traitors and from NATO.

"Get ready for the fight ... The blood of martyrs is fuel for the battlefield."

"Move forward, challenge, pick up your weapons, go to the fight for liberating Libya inch by inch from the traitors and from NATO.

I do hope the citizens reply, You first, Oh Glorious Leader...

OMG.

Gaddafi Forces 'Fire First Scud Missile'
0Comments
12:11am UK, Tuesday August 16, 2011
The US military revealed forces loyal to Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi have fired a scud missile near Brega, the Associated Press has reported.

The missile launch against rebels marks the first use of a tactical ballistic weapon by Gaddafi's troops since the conflict started last March.
A warship off the coast monitored the launch from Col Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte.
No one is believed to have been hurt in the incident.

More at:

http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16050687

Basteward.

No one seems to have been hurt in the incident.

Could this be true?

Good morning! See below re the scud missile - nobody hurt, it fell into the desert!

Al Jazeera:

Libyan rebels push to isolate Tripoli
Opposition forces continue western offensive, as Libyan interior minister lands in Egyptian capital.
Last Modified: 16 Aug 2011 03:04

Libyan rebels say they now control most of the strategic western town of Az-Zawiyah, as they continue an offensive aimed at isolating Tripoli, the country's capital.

The rebel push comes as Abdul Ilah al-Khatib, the United Nations' envoy on the Libyan conflict, arrived in Tunis, the Tunisian capital, where the country's foreign ministry said that he was due to meet with representives from Libya.

Both the United Nations and the Libyan rebel National Transitional Council in Benghazi denied that direct talks between the rebels and the Gaddafi government were taking place in Tunisia.

Meanwhile, Egyptian airport officials said Nassr al-Mabrouk Abdullah, the Libyan interior minister, had arrived in Cairo earlier on Monday, accompanied by his family members.

The officials said the minister landed just before noon at the Cairo international airport, with nine members of his family.

They said he arrived on a special plane from Tunisia and told Egyptian officials that he was "on a tourist visit''.

The airport officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to talk to the media.

No officials from the Libyan embassy in Cairo were at the airport to greet the minister. Libyan officials were not immediately available for comment.

'Scud fired'

Meanwhile, a US defence official said Gaddafi's forces had fired a Scud missile for the first time since the uprising, but it landed in the desert and injured no one.

The missile was fired on Sunday morning from a location about 80 km east of Sirte, Gaddafi's home town, and landed east of the coastal oil town of Brega, the official said in Washington, speaking on condition of anonymity.

It was unclear what might have been its target, the official said.

In Az-Zawiyah, rebel commanders said they controlled most of the town, but that they were still taking sniper fire from forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader.

The rebel assault on Az-Zawiyah and its neighbouring towns began on Saturday, as they sought to cut off the southern coastal route from Tunisia which Gaddafi has been using to resupply.

Zeina Khodr, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Az-Zawiyah, reported that the rebels had taken control of a bridge along which the highway from Tripoli to Tunisia runs, but that central areas of the city remained contested, with Gaddafi forces employing snipers and mortar fire, as well Grad rockets.

On Sunday, Bashir Ahmed Ali, the rebels' battalion commander in Az-Zawiyah, said that his forces had suffered "many casualties" due to sniper fire.

He also told the AFP news agency that a tank and four fighters had been lost in a "friendly fire" air strike during the operation to take Az-Zawiyah.

On Monday, rebels said they were focusing on capturing or killing the snipers and clearing out any other pro-government forces left in the town.

The rebels have taken Az-Zawiyah twice before, only to lose it to government counter-offensives.

The opposition says it is being more cautious on this occasion. It arrested at least 15 people it alleged were mercenaries on Monday.

Almost all the shops in the town remained shuttered on Monday.

'Hundreds of volunteers'

The rebels say that they have also taken the towns of Surman, 60km west of Tripoli and Garyan, 50km to the south.

Moussa Ibrahim, the Libyan government's spokesman, acknowledged that there were "problems" in Surman, but said that "hundreds of volunteers" backed by the army were "handling the case".

He also acknowledged that the rebels had entered Garyan.

Clashes were also reported on Monday in the eastern oil town of Brega, where the rebels say they now control two-thirds of the town.

Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, reporting from Brega, said that the town showed signs of intensive fighting having taken place, and that the rebels were continuing a push to take the oil terminal and industrial area.

The government denied on Sunday that rebel forces controlled any part of Brega.

Opposition forces hope that if they can take complete control of the city, its oil terminal and sea port will allow them to resume oil exports, and will give them a key staging area on the road to Sirte, a Gaddafi stronghold.

Gaddafi broadcast

Gaddafi had earlier urged his supporters to fight for the country "inch by inch" in an audio message broadcast on state television with no images.

Facing the sternest challenge of his decades-long rule, Gaddafi called on Monday for Libyans to arm themselves to liberate the country from "traitors and from NATO".

The speech was the first time he had spoken in public since rebel fighters launched their biggest offensive in months.

"The Libyan people will remain and the Fateh revolution [which brought Gaddafi to power in 1969] will remain," Gaddafi said.

"Move forward, challenge, pick up your weapons, go to the fight for liberating Libya inch by inch from the traitors and from NATO.

"Get ready for the fight ... The blood of martyrs is fuel for the battlefield."

Al Jazeera Live Blog:

1 hour 12 min ago
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces fired a scud missile for the first time since the uprising against his rule began six months ago, but it landed in the desert and injured no one.

The missile was fired on Sunday morning from a location about 80km east of Sirte, Gaddafi's home town, and landed east of the coastal oil town of Brega.

The oil port of Brega has been the main front line in the east of the country for months. Rebels have seized the port's eastern residential areas since last week, but Gaddafi's forces still control its oil terminal, refinery and port.

And as Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley reports from the city, there are several reasons why it is an important prize for the opposition:



1 hour 36 min ago
Libyans in rebel-held Benghazi remain defiant after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces fire scud missiles at them.

Richard Weitz, director of the Centre for Political and Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute, told Al Jazeera the use of scuds may not be an escalation of the war but they do send a message.

Good morning!

Al Jazeera:

Libyan rebels tighten grip around Tripoli
Opposition says its forces have reached Al-Heisha and captured two towns on supply roads in campaign to isolate capital.
Last Modified: 17 Aug 2011 02:37

Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports that rebels now control most of the strategically important city of Az-Zawiyah.

Libyan opposition forces have pushed further to isolate Tripoli, moving toward a western town that links the capital and Sirte -- Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's hometown and a stronghold for his military.

"The scouting teams of the revolutionaries reached the outskirts of Al-Heisha after expelling Gaddafi forces," the rebel military command said in a statement early on Wednesday.

Al-Heisha lies roughly 70km south of Misurata and 250km from Tripoli, near two key crossroads that link loyalist-held territory in the west with that in the oil-rich Sirte basin. It was just the latest in a series of battlefield operations to isolate the capital.

In addition to gaining a foothold in Az-Zawiyah, rebels said they had taken two towns near Tripoli on key supply roads Gharyan, 80 km south of the capital and Surman, less than 16 km west of Az-Zawiyah.

"Gharyan is fully in the hands of the revolutionaries," a rebel spokesman, Abdulrahman, said by telephone. "Gaddafi has been isolated. He has been cut off from the outside world."

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim acknowledged in remarks broadcast on state television that rebel fighters were in Gharyan. "There are still armed gangs inside the city. We are able to drive them out," he said.

But while rebels controlled most of Az-Zawiyah, Gaddafi forces shelled the city, wounding several civilians. Funerals were held for 23 others who rebels said were killed the previous day.

Nuri el-Bouaisi, an oil production engineer in the city, said rebels had cut off pipelines that transport gasoline and diesel fuel to Tripoli.

"We shut down all four pipelines to Tripoli," El-Bouaisi said, whose claim could not be verified.

NTC-Gaddafi talks denied

Meanwhile, a UN envoy has arrived in neighbouring Tunisia, where sources say rebels and representatives of the government are in talks on the island resort of Djerba.

The envoy, Abdul Ilah al-Khatib, told the Reuters news agency he would meet "Libyan personalities residing in Tunisia" to discuss the conflict.

Talks could signal the endgame of a battle that has drawn in the NATO alliance and emerged as one of the deadliest confrontations in the wave of unrest sweeping the Arab world.

But spokesman Farhan Haq said the United Nations had "no concrete information" on any talks in Tunisia and that its Libya envoy, al-Khatib, was not taking part in any such talks.

The reports of rebel-government talks also sparked a swift denial from Gaddafi's government. His spokesman dismissed reports of negotiations about the Libyan leader's future as part of a "media war" against him.

"The leader is here in Libya, fighting for the freedom of our nation. He will not leave Libya," spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said.

Abdul Hafez Ghoga, vice chairman of the National Transitional Council (NTC), also denied that such talks were under way.

Gaddafi forces on Sunday fired a scud missile near Brega on the main frontline in the east of the country; the first use of the weapon since the uprising against his rule began six months ago, according to a US military official said.

Although no one was hurt in the attack and the missiles are considered unreliable weapons, Richard Weitz, director of the Centre for Political and Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute, told Al Jazeera the use of scuds could signal Gaddafi's determination to fight. Weitz told Al Jazeera use of scuds may not be an escalation of the war but they do send a message.

Nuri el-Bouaisi, an oil production engineer in the city, said rebels had cut off pipelines that transport gasoline and diesel fuel to Tripoli.

"We shut down all four pipelines to Tripoli," El-Bouaisi said, whose claim could not be verified.

I hope that is correct; and it did occur to me that making such a hash of firing a Scud does indeed send a message, though not the one intended...

Good morning.

Al Jazeera: 16 Aug 2011

Fighting has continued to rage across Libya, with opposition forces closing in on Gaddafi's stronghold of Tripoli.

Rebels say they now control most of the strategically important city of Az-Zawiyah.

Gaddafi's army is using rockets to strike at opposition positions inside Az-Zawiyah.

Al Jazeera's Zeina Khodr reports from Az-Zawiyah.

Good morning.

Al Jazeera:

Libya rebels claim control of key refinery

Explosions heard in Tripoli as rebels capture key towns and supply routes, further isolating Gaddafi's stronghold.
Last Modified: 19 Aug 2011 06:37

Rebel forces also claim to have seized a military base in Gharyan, which lies on a strategic supply route.

Libya's opposition fighters claim to have taken control of a strategic oil refinery in the western town of Az Zawiyah and also to have blocked the main highway north to the capital, Tripoli.

"The battle [for the refinery] lasted for two days but the main battle was last night. We took control last night," Saleh Omran, a rebel fighter from Az Zawiyah told the Reuters news agency on Thursday from inside the refinery complex.

He said rebel fighters forced the troops of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to flee the seaside refinery, a major source of fuel for the loyalist troops in Tripoli.

The refinery complex, located about 50km west of the capital along the highway linking Tripoli to Tunisia, was reportedly under rebel control on Thursday.

Rebel forces also claimed to be in control of the town of Surman, 60km west of Tripoli, and Gharyan, 50km to the south, days after claiming to occupy Az Zawiyah.

Doctors at a hospital a few kilometers south of Az Zawiyah said nine people were killed and at least 45 injured in fighting around the town and at the refinery on Wednesday.

Control of the road between Surman and Az Zawiyah would be easier for opposition fighters to cut supply routes to the capital, further isolating Gaddafi's stronghold.

Explosions heard in Tripoli

Several explosions rocked Tripoli early on Friday as NATO warplanes flew over the capital.

A slew of explosions were heard around 1:00 am (2300 GMT) in the heart of the seaside capital where Gaddafi's residential complex is located, as well as in several areas in the west of the city.

On Thursday, central Tripoli and the eastern suburb of Tajura were targeted by NATO warplanes, according to witnesses.


Click here for more of Al Jazeera's special coverage Moussa Ibrahim, the Gaddafi spokesman, played down rebel gains and said the government remained in control of the country.
"This is a crisis that will last a few days and then it will be - God willing - overcome," Ibrahim was quoted as saying by the JANA news agency on Thursday.

On the eastern front, fighting continued as both sides try to gain control of the oil town of Brega.

"All of Alargop is now free, liberated," Musa Mahmoud al-Mughrabi, the rebel spokesman, said of the area 6km south of Brega.

"Casualties have been very high because it's urban warfare," he said.

About 40 rebels have been killed and nearly 100 wounded in and around Brega over the past 10 days, according to a tally of reports from the rebels and hospital workers.

Aided by NATO bombers, assault helicopters and a naval blockade, the rebels have transformed the battle in the last few days after many weeks of stalemate.

The US also deployed two more Predator drones for surveillance operations over Libya, a US official said on Wednesday. It was unclear how many drones the US already had over the country.

He said rebel fighters forced the troops of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to flee the seaside refinery, a major source of fuel for the loyalist troops in Tripoli

A very important gain, then?

bb1 wrote:He said rebel fighters forced the troops of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi to flee the seaside refinery, a major source of fuel for the loyalist troops in Tripoli

A very important gain, then?

Yes!! Now they have the military base AND the refinery; they are tightening the net around Tripoli; not too far to go now. LL

Al Jazeera Libya live blog link: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/Libya

there are some interesting items, plus some video and a piece on Gadaffi forces executing people in May in a small town. LL

Latest from CNN - including the news that a brother of Gadaffi's spokesman was killed in a NATO airstrike, plus video:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/08/19/libya.war/index.html

Good morning!

Al Jazeera:

Libyan rebels take control of Az Zawiyah
Muammar Gaddafi's forces launch counterattack after rebels capture key cities of Az Zawiyah and Zlitan.
Last Modified: 19 Aug 2011 21:26

Libyan opposition fighters have wrested control of the strategic cities of Az Zawiyah and Zlitan as they pushed closer to the stronghold of Muammar Gaddafi.

"Az Zawiyah is free," rebels said on Friday as they took up positions in its hospital hours after securing the centre of the town.

Fighting continued late on Friday as Gaddafi forces launched a fierce counterattack along the coastal highway 50km west of Tripoli.

Sustained blasts from rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and anti-aircraft guns were heard from the direction of city's central square as a black column of smoke rose into the evening sky, Reuters reported.

Reuters said that opposition fighters in city's central square exchanged heavy fire with Gaddafi forces occupying a floor of the city's main hospital nearby before driving them out.

This comes a day after rebels took complete control of Az Zawiyah's key oil refinery.

To the east, rebels fought bloody street battles in the city of Zlitan, suffering heavy casualties, Reuters reported.

The assault on Zlitan, roughly 150km east of the capital, began around 7:30am local time [0530GMT], and "at 1:00pm local time our information indicates that the rebel troops entered the city centre", the information centre for Misrata military council said in a statement on Friday.

At least 26 rebels are reported to have been killed in the fighting for Zlitan, as forces loyal to Gaddafi used tanks and heavy weapons to repel the attack. Another 150 opposition fighters were reported injured.

The rebels said between 40 and 50 of Gaddafi's forces were also killed in the fighting.

Government troops have been fighting rebels in and around Zlitan for months. The town is a major obstacle in the path from the nearby city of Misrata trying to make their way to Tripoli.

Al Jazeera's Andrew Simmons, who visited Zlitan, confirmed the rebel victory there and said there were scenes of jubilation.

"The rebel fighters took heavy losses, they came under fire from artillery and rockets but they moved forward," Simmons said.

"After fighters from Misrata moved in, opposition fighters within Zlitan rose and took on, in small groupings, the Gaddafi forces. The Gaddafi troops pulled out leaving ammunition and a lot of equipment behind."

Foreigners to be evacuated

As fighting intensified, the International Organization for Migration announced plans to start evacuating "large numbers'' of Egyptians and other foreigners, including some journalists, from Tripoli in coming days.

NATO issued a statement that said its air strikes had destroyed a command centre, two armed vehicles and five tanks near Zlitan.

Capture of Zlitan, 150km east of capital Tripoli, is a big boost for rebel fighters
Al Jazeera's Simmons said for more than two months the [rebels] had been stuck on the outskirts of Zlitan.

"It was a major block because there wasn't overall support by the people of Zlitan initially. Those civilians who may have been Gaddafi supporters were treated well by the opposition.

"It's a strategic town, [if] they want to advance on to Tripoli. Now they could do it very quickly. They have a clear run on this coastal road of almost 60km."

The rebels claimed on Thursday they had captured the 120,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Az Zawiyah, a potential turning point in the six-month war.

Opposition forces also claimed to be in control of the town of Surman, 60km west of Tripoli, and Gharyan, 50km to the south.

Significance of Az Zawiyah

Shashank Joshi, of the Royal United Service Institute in London, told Al Jazeera the rebels have learned from past mistakes to move forward methodically.

"They can't just rush ahead and take ground and then forced to move back," he said.

"They have observed that lesson and I think very effectively, and this is why they are still fighting to clear Az Zawiyah.

"They have taken a number of days to fight their way through to take the refinery and they have worked very hard for that, which is why they are very likely, this time around unlike on previous occasions, to actually hold the ground they had taken."

Joshi continued: "The significance of Az Zawiyah cannot be seen in isolation, we have to see it in combination of what’s going on in Gharyan, south of Tripoli and Zlitan to the east.

"And all of these locations can be consolidated and their grip solidified, and we are going to see Tripoli being put in a state of siege."

NATO has stepped up bombings in Tripoli in recent days, while rebels have severed Gaddafi's supply route from Tunisia.

Az Zawiyah was one of the first cities to rise up against the Gaddafi regime when the Libyan revolt began in mid-February on the heels of the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions.

Protests were quickly crushed by the Gaddafi regime, even going as far as razing a local mosque in the main square that rebels used as a meeting point and makeshift hospital.

Target: Tripoli

The Libyan opposition has been seeking to sever Tripoli's supply lines from Tunisia to the west and to Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte in the east in a move to cut off the capital, prompt defections and spark an uprising inside Gaddafi's stronghold.

Meanwhile, NATO continued with its air raids in parts of Tripoli. Loud explosions rocked the capital early on Friday, as flames lit up skies near Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziya compund and army barracks.

In Tripoli, a government official said that NATO had killed the brother of Gaddafi's spokesman, Moussa Ibrahim.

The official said Hasan Ibrahim, 25, and others were struck by bullets fired from an Apache helicopter while on foot in Az Zawiyah's central square.

The revolt in Libya began in mid-February, with the rebels quickly wresting control of much of the eastern half of the country, as well as pockets in the west.

The conflict later settled into a stalemate with the rebels failing to budge the front lines in the east since April, and making only minor gains from the areas they controled in the east and in the western Nafusa mountains.

But this week the rebels made enormous gains in capturing many western towns and claiming to control the road from Tripoli to the Tunisian border, the main supply line of the capital.

Joshi, however, said the rebels would need to move carefully.

"I won't expect any kind of rush in next several days and hope they would take all the strategic patience required."

Link as there are videos not yet available on you tube: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/08/2011819145519307139.html

Rebels 'walk into' Brega:

Here's hoping we are finally nearing the end of this, LL.

bb1 wrote:Here's hoping we are finally nearing the end of this, LL.

Yes indeed, here seems to have been quite a momentum in the last few days towards Tripoli. However, there was a word of warning on Al Jazeera TV - does Gadaffi have mustard gas and/or chemical weapons? He is supposed to have handed all he had over to the US when Iraq fell .... but I wouldn't trust him one tiny bit. Would he use them, if he has such weapons, on the rebels alone, or would he turn them on the people of Tripoli? The rebels say there are many people in Tripoli who would come out and join them once they are in the city. It's not a nice thought, it is? LL

Good morning

Al Jazeera:

Gaddafi forces shrink on all battle fronts
Rebel fighters are holding much of the east and parts of the west.
Last Modified: 20 Aug 2011 21:43

Gaddafi has seen areas under his control shrink as rebels advance on Tripoli from the west, south and east. Momentum appears to have now firmly swung in the opposition's favour after months of near-deadlock, with the rebels holding much of the east and parts of the west.

"Gaddafi's days are numbered,'' said Jeffrey Feltman, US Assistant Secretary of State, during a visit to the de-facto rebel capital of Benghazi. "The best case scenario is for Gaddafi to step down now ... that's the best
protection for civilians.''

Mustafa Abdel Jalil, an opposition leader, echoed the statement. "The end is very near" for Gaddafi, said the chairman of the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) on Saturday.

"We have contacts with people from the inner circle of Gaddafi," he said. "All evidence [shows] that the end is very near, with God's grace."

The territory remaining under Gaddafi's control has been shrinking dramatically in the past three weeks, with opposition fighters advancing on the capital, from the west, south and east. Major supply routes into the capital have also fallen under rebel control.

Challenges ahead

In an indication of challenges ahead, however, rebel spokesman Ahmed Bani said his troops retreated from parts of the eastern town of Brega, losing the industrial section to Gaddafi's forces.

The oil port has frequently changed hands throughout the conflict. At a news conference, Bani said rebels captured the city of Zlitan, 140km southeast of Tripoli, after more than two months of fighting.

Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland reports from Benghazi on the cracks and defections from within Gaddafi's regime.

"Zlitan is now completely liberated after a severe fight, and for the first time I can say we have control over it,'' Bani told reporters on Saturday.

As rebels battled for towns on either side of Tripoli on Saturday, fighting spilled across the border into Tunisia, where Libyan infiltrators clashed with Tunisian troops.

Tunisian security sources said their forces intercepted Libyan men in vehicles with weapons and fought them through the night in the desert. They reported several casualties.

Gaddafi's forces west of Az Zawiyah and near the Tunisian border have been effectively encircled and cut off from their supply lines. Tunisia has increased its army presence in the border area.

Residents of the southern Tunisian desert town of Douz told the Reuters news agency that helicopters were seen overhead and troops had been summoned from nearby towns to subdue the infiltrators, who rode in vehicles without number plates.

The Tunisian security sources did not say whether the armed men were rebels or supporters of Gaddafi. Residents said they believed they were Gaddafi supporters.

Tunisian officials also said a Tunisian army helicopter had crashed because of mechanical problems in the border area, killing the pilot and co-pilot.

'Gaddafi is finished'

The siege of Tripoli and the prospect of a battle for the capital have added urgency to the question of Gaddafi's fate. The leader has repeatedly vowed never to leave the country. Rebels say they will not stop fighting until he is gone.

Representatives of the two sides held talks early this week in a Tunisian resort, attended by a former French prime minister, but announced no breakthrough.

The severing of the road link between Tripoli and Tunisia makes further talks difficult.

A Tunisian official source said Libya's senior oil official, Omran Abukraa, had arrived in Tunisia after deciding not to return to Tripoli from a trip to Italy.

If confirmed, it would be the third apparent defection of a senior Gaddafi associate this week. A senior security official arrived in Rome on Monday, and rebels said on Friday that Gaddafi's estranged former deputy Abdessalam Jalloud had joined their side.

In Az Zawiyah's central square on Saturday, residents were burning and stamping on a green Gaddafi flag.

"Gaddafi is finished. Civilians are starting to come back to the cities. Libya is finally free," said one, who gave his name as Abu Khaled.

In a nearby alley, residents had gathered to stare at the bodies of two Gaddafi soldiers lying in the street. Gunfire and explosions could be heard in the distance.

Rebels said the main Gaddafi force had retreated about 10km east to the town of Jaddayim and was shelling Az Zawiyah from there.

The sudden imposition of a siege around Tripoli has trapped its residents and cut them off from fuel and food.

The International Organisation for Migration said on Friday it would organise a rescue operation to evacuate thousands of foreign workers, probably by sea.

Al Jazeera:

Libyan fighting reaches streets of Tripoli
Rebels herald "zero hour" as gunfire and explosions shake Libyan capital and Muammar Gaddafi urges supporters to fight.
Last Modified: 21 Aug 2011 05:26

Sustained automatic gunfire and a series of explosions rang out in Tripoli overnight as rebels launched efforts to permanantly free the Libyan capital from Muammar Gaddafi's grasp, according to reports from witnesses and rebels.

Blasts and gunfire rocked the city after sunset on Saturday, and witnesses reported street protests and fighting in the eastern neighbourhoods of Souq al-Jomaa and Tajoura. Beginning at around 9pm local time, residents also took to the streets in the Fashloum, Fournaj, Sabah, Ghoud al-Shayal, Hanshir and Dahra areas, many of them emerging from mosques and chanting "God is great".

Expatriate Libyans speaking to family members in the capital said their relatives described men going out to protest, some with weapons, while children and women were asked to stay home. Meanwhile, NATO aircraft reportedly carried out bombing raids after nightfall.

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said rebels had tried to attack Tripoli but had been "dealt with".

Ibrahim appeared on state television in the early morning hours in Tripoli's central Green Square, riding in a car and surrounded by tens of supporters. Gaddafi himself never appeared, though he released an audio message congratulating citizens for repelling an attack by "rats".

"Sure, there were some armed militants who escaped into some neighbourhoods and there were some scuffles," Ibrahim said. "But we dealt with it within a half hour and it is now calm."

Ibrahim said that pro-regime volunteers had repelled insurgents' attacks in several neighbourhoods. He dismissed mounting speculation that the regime was on the brink, but more gunfire was heard after he spoke on television.

Gun battles and the explosion of apparent mortar rounds could be heard clearly at the hotel where foreign correspondents stay in the capital. Their movements are tightly restricted by the regime.

Rebel co-ordination

In a live audio broadcast aired on state television early on Sunday morning, Gaddafi congratulated his supporters and accused French President Nicolas Sarkozy of trying to steal the country's oil. He said that the rebels were "bent on the destruction of the Libyan people".

Gaddafi urged his supporters to "march by the millions" and end a months-long rebellion, which he termed a "masquerade".

A senior official in the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC) said on Sunday that operations in Tripoli were co-ordinated between opponents of Gaddafi in the city and the rebels in the east.

"The zero hour has started. The rebels in Tripoli have risen up," said Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, vice-chairman of the NTC, in the eastern city of Benghazi.

"There is co-ordination with the rebels in Tripoli. This was a pre-set plan. They've been preparing for a while. There's co-ordination with the rebels approaching from the east, west and south," he said.

Ghoga said NATO warplanes were launching raids to distract Gaddafi's forces.

"The next hours are crucial. Many of their (pro-Gaddafi) brigades and their commanders have fled." He added.

'Operation Mermaid Dawn'

Colonel Fadlallah Haroun, a military commander in Benghazi, said the battles marked the beginning of Operation Mermaid Dawn. Tripoli's nickname in Libya is "Bride of the Sea," or mermaid.

Haroun told the AP news agency that weapons were assembled and sent by tugboats to Tripoli on Friday night.

"The fighters in Tripoli are rising up in two places at the moment - some are in the Tajoura neighbourhood and the other is near the Matiga airport," he told Al-Jazeera.

Tajoura has been known since the beginning of the uprising in February as one of the Tripoli neighborhoods most openly opposed to Gaddafi's rule. The Matiga airport is located in the city, while the international airport is located around 30km south.

A rebel representative for Tripoli on the NTC told the AP that rebels were surrounding almost every neighbourhood in the capital, and there was especially heavy fighting in Fashloum, Tajoura and Souq al-Jomaa.

In Benghazi, thousands of Libyans celebrated in the main city square, shooting fireworks and guns into the air, and waving rebel flags.

Video reports:

Because the news is coming so fast now, I am posting up as many of the videos as fast as I can. LL

This is Gadaffi on the phone exorting his now fast diminishing supporters:

It's not been a good year for Bullies and Liars, has it.