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Libya conflict: Rebels push towards Tripoli Libya conflict: Rebels push towards Tripoli
(about 1 hour later)
Buoyed by gains on Saturday, rebel forces are pushing towards the Libyan capital, Tripoli, where there was heavy overnight gunfire and several explosions on Sunday morning. A Libyan rebel push towards the capital Tripoli has run into stiff resistance, as the Gaddafi regime renewed claims that it wants a ceasefire.
A BBC correspondent with rebels who took Zawiya on Saturday says they have now taken Jaddayim, the first town en route to Tripoli, 40km (25 miles) east. Buoyed by recent gains, the rebels took the town of Jaddayim but were forced to retreat when they reached Maya, 35km (22 miles) west of Tripoli.
A government spokesman called for a ceasefire and accused Nato of working with the anti-Gaddafi forces. A BBC correspondent says the lightly armed rebels are little match for government artillery.
Rebels are moving on two other fronts. The government accused Nato jets of working to clear a path for the rebels.
They took Zlitan, 160km (100 miles) east of Tripoli and are also advancing from the south, while Nato warships control access to the sea. Heavy gunfire and several explosions were heard in the city overnight but rebel reports of a popular uprising inside the capital were not borne out, and support for Col Muammar Gaddafi remains strong, correspondents say.
A rebel official said their supporters had started to rise up in Tripoli, but the violence appeared to peak late on Saturday night and there is still much support for Col Gaddafi in the city, correspondents say. Rebel forces have advanced from the east and west in recent days as Nato jets pounded government infrastructure and material and Nato warships controlled sea routes.
Pro-Gaddafi forces have been fighting back at the oil port of Brega, with the rebels admitting that they had fallen back from the eastern town's industrial zone under heavy bombardment. Artillery fire
'Massacres' Having spent the morning travelling with jubilant rebel forces out of in the west, the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports that their advance stalled at Maya.
Col Gaddafi's Information Minister Moussa Ibrahim accused Nato of going "mad".
"Nato in the last week or so... has been opening the roads ahead of the rebels who are too weak to do anything themselves," he told a news conference in Tripoli.
He also accused the rebel forces of carrying out "massacres" and killing people in the streets of those towns and villages they had seized in recent days.
He urged all parties to seek a peaceful way out of the crisis, warning that otherwise "many people will be killed and terrible crimes will be committed inside Libyan cities".
He also said that Tripoli was well protected by "thousands upon thousands of professional soldiers".
The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Jaddayim says hundreds of rebel fighters are in the town, both on foot and travelling in pick-up trucks. He says the town was taken after heavy fighting on Sunday morning.
Our correspondent says this is starting to feel like this may be the beginning of the march on Tripoli. This rebel advance seems to have more momentum than previous ones and has more support from Nato forces, he adds.
"We want to go to Tripoli today," one of the fighters, Bassam, told the AFP news agency, adding that Nato forces had been attacking the area's forest all night.
However, a fighter who returned from the front line to Zawiya said that pro-Gaddafi forces were pounding rebel positions with rockets and mortars.
In the capital itself, four loud explosions were heard on Sunday morning following hours of sustained gunfire in the city.
Colonel Gaddafi's Libya is under pressure like never before. Rebel forces are advancing towards the capital. They will expect to meet resistance before they arrive here. But the uprising may have started from within.Colonel Gaddafi's Libya is under pressure like never before. Rebel forces are advancing towards the capital. They will expect to meet resistance before they arrive here. But the uprising may have started from within.
Overnight there were fierce clashes in several districts, with Col Gaddafi promising his people that the rebels had been "eliminated". Certainly the sound of the fighting indicated that troops had been ordered to fight them with all they have. The Libyan information minister called for an immediate ceasefire. He said a peaceful way out of the crisis needed to be negotiated, that the government had been saying this for months.Overnight there were fierce clashes in several districts, with Col Gaddafi promising his people that the rebels had been "eliminated". Certainly the sound of the fighting indicated that troops had been ordered to fight them with all they have. The Libyan information minister called for an immediate ceasefire. He said a peaceful way out of the crisis needed to be negotiated, that the government had been saying this for months.
And he added that Nato would have blood on its hands if this did not happen. He said it was only with Nato support that the rebels were able to advance on Tripoli and that if they were allowed to enter, their priority would be blood and revenge.And he added that Nato would have blood on its hands if this did not happen. He said it was only with Nato support that the rebels were able to advance on Tripoli and that if they were allowed to enter, their priority would be blood and revenge.
They were met with very heavy incoming fire and ran back along the road, setting up a new front line a few kilometres out of the town, our correspondent says.
The rebels do not have heavy artillery and when they come up against Grad rocket launchers, for example, they do not have much to defend themselves with, he adds.
Since the reverse at Maya, Nato has reportedly launched air strikes in the area.
Hundreds of rebel fighters poured into Jaddayim on Sunday morning after heavy fighting for the town.
In the capital itself, four loud explosions were heard on Sunday morning following hours of sustained gunfire in the city.
There were overnight reports of protests and gunfire in areas to the north and east of Tripoli, including the Tajoura district, where there was trouble at the start of this uprising against Col Gaddafi, the BBC's Matthew Price reports from the capital.There were overnight reports of protests and gunfire in areas to the north and east of Tripoli, including the Tajoura district, where there was trouble at the start of this uprising against Col Gaddafi, the BBC's Matthew Price reports from the capital.
The most intense period of fighting came at around 21:00 local time (19:00GMT) but the level of gunfire was much reduced by Sunday morning, our correspondent says.The most intense period of fighting came at around 21:00 local time (19:00GMT) but the level of gunfire was much reduced by Sunday morning, our correspondent says.
The overnight fighting was almost certainly opponents of Col Gaddafi already in scattered parts of Tripoli rising up against pro-Gaddafi forces, rather than rebel forces advancing into the capital, our correspondent adds.The overnight fighting was almost certainly opponents of Col Gaddafi already in scattered parts of Tripoli rising up against pro-Gaddafi forces, rather than rebel forces advancing into the capital, our correspondent adds.
Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, vice-chairman of the rebel Transitional National Council (TNC), was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency: "The zero hour has started. The rebels in Tripoli have risen up." Government officials say the attack was put down within half an hour and Col Gaddafi congratulated his supporters for repelling rebel "rats", while his son, Saif al-Islam, ruled out any possibility of surrender.
He said the uprising had been co-ordinated with rebels forces elsewhere in the country. Ceasefire call
But government officials say the attack was put down within half an hour. Information Minister Moussa Ibrahim accused Nato of "opening the roads ahead of the rebels who are too weak to do anything themselves".
In an audio broadcast shortly afterwards, Col Gaddafi congratulated his supporters for repelling the rebels. He also accused the rebel forces of massacring people in towns and villages seized in recent days, and warned of "many" deaths and "terrible crimes... inside Libyan cities".
"Those rats were attacked by the masses tonight and we eliminated them," he said. Tripoli, he insisted, was well protected by "thousands upon thousands of professional soldiers".
His son, Saif al-Islam, ruled out any possibility of surrender. At the same time, he urged the rebels to open talks. "If you want peace, we are ready," he said.
"I see ourselves as victorious, I see our position is strong," he said in a speech on state TV. The Libyan leader certainly has support in Tripoli, our correspondent there says. Pro-Gaddafi men and women have received weapons training in recent weeks, while checkpoints have sprung up across the city.
He did, however, urge the rebels to open talks. On Saturday, the rebels announced they had been forced back in the east by government artillery in the oil port of Brega.
"If you want peace, we are ready," he said. Brega, home to Libya's second-largest hydrocarbon complex and where oil from the country's main fields is refined, has repeatedly changed hands during the conflict.
The Libyan leader certainly has support in Tripoli, our correspondent says.
Pro-Gaddafi men and women have received weapons training in recent weeks, while checkpoints have sprung up across the city.
A Tripoli resident told Reuters that Muslim clerics had called for people to rise up in parts of the Libyan capital.
The resident said the imams made the call as Muslims were ending their daytime fast during the holy month of Ramadan on Saturday evening.
In his audio message, Col Gaddafi condemned "traitors" who were "defiling mosques" in the mainly Muslim country.
Oil fields
Rebel military spokesman Col Ahmed Bani confirmed that rebel forces had fallen back in the eastern oil port of Brega.
Brega, home to Libya's second-largest hydrocarbon complex and where oil from the country's main fields is refined, has repeatedly changed hands during the six-month conflict.
Col Bani said the rebel forces had pulled back after coming under artillery fire.
Libya's conflict broke out in February, inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt which toppled the presidents of those countries.Libya's conflict broke out in February, inspired by uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt which toppled the presidents of those countries.
Rebels in the east rapidly consolidated their gains, but a stalemate developed in the west as rebels there faced overwhelming military force.Rebels in the east rapidly consolidated their gains, but a stalemate developed in the west as rebels there faced overwhelming military force.
Nato is enforcing a UN resolution to protect civilians from Col Gaddafi's forces but critics say it has overstepped its mandate by helping the rebels.Nato is enforcing a UN resolution to protect civilians from Col Gaddafi's forces but critics say it has overstepped its mandate by helping the rebels.
Are you in any of the areas affected by the fighting? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below.Are you in any of the areas affected by the fighting? Send us your comments and experiences using the form below.
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