New Libya leaders pledge 'moderate' Islamic rule

 Libya's new leaders pledged "moderate" Islamic rule even as their fighters were accused of committing war crimes and a defiant Moamer Kadhafi vowed from hiding to battle on until victory.

Interim leader Mustafa Abdel Jalil received a hero's welcome when he made a public speech in Tripoli's main

square late on Monday.

Thousands celebrated last month's fall of the Kadhafi regime in Martyrs' Square, two days after Abdel Jalil, the head of the National Transitional Council (NTC), arrived in Tripoli from Benghazi in the east.

Moderate Islam would be the main source of legislation in post-Kadhafi Libya, he told the crowd.

"We will not accept any extremist ideology, on the right or the left. We are a Muslim people, for a moderate Islam, and we will stay on this road," he said.

In a new report released Tuesday, Amnesty International accused Kadhafi's regime of crimes against humanity but also said NTC fighters had committed possible war crimes.

While the London-based rights group's report consisted mainly of damning examples of violations by Kadhafi's regime, it said the NTC appeared unwilling to hold its fighters accountable for human rights violations.

Amnesty said in the first days of the uprising against Kadhafi's rule groups of protesters killed a number of captured soldiers and suspected mercenaries.

"Some were beaten to death, at least three were hanged, and others were shot dead after they had been captured or had surrendered, the report, "The Battle for Libya -- Killings, Disappearances and Torture," said.

"The NTC is facing a difficult task of reigning in opposition fighters and vigilante groups responsible for serious human rights abuses, including possible war crimes but has shown unwillingness to hold them accountable," the report said.

Kadhafi, meanwhile, in a statement read out on Syria-based Arrai Oruba television, vowed to defeat those behind the "coup" that ousted him.

"It is not possible to give Libya to the colonialists again," the one-time strongman said.

"All that remains for us is the struggle until victory and the defeat of the coup," added the former leader who has gone underground since Tripoli fell to rebel fighters late last month.

On the battlefield, Kadhafi's remaining forces launched ferocious counterattacks Monday on the oil refinery town of Ras Lanuf in the east, on the road towards Kadhafi's hometown of Sirte, and at Bani Walid southeast of the capital Tripoli.

Striking deep behind enemy lines, Kadhafi fighters killed at least 12 NTC soldiers at Ras Lanuf, an NTC military spokesman told AFP.

The oil infrastructure along the Mediterranean coast between Sidra and Brega was a key battleground of the seven-month uprising against Kadhafi, as the mainly rebel-held east and mainly government-held west fought it out.

But since Tripoli's fall, NTC forces have advanced dozens of kilometres (miles) west towards Sirte, which remains in Kadhafi's hand, moving to secure the vital oil infrastructure on which its post-war reconstruction plans depend.

Southeast of Tripoli, civilians poured out of the desert town of Bani Walid Monday after intense fighting between Kadhafi loyalists and troops of the new regime who have encircled it.

But those fleeing said many more remained trapped inside the oasis town, 180 kilometres (110 miles) from the capital, for want of fuel for their vehicles.

"Families are scared to death by this war," said Mohammed Suleiman as he passed through a checkpoint with 10 relatives crammed into the back of his white BMW.

West of Sirte, an NTC commander said his forces had met strong resistance as they advanced to a place called "Checkpoint 50" -- 50 kilometres from the town.

"We came under fire from a lot of Grads (rockets)," said field commander Umran al-Awaib.

The unexpected counter-offensive by Kadhafi loyalists came despite the flight to neighbouring Niger of 32 members of his inner circle during the past 10 days.

"A total of 32 people are now here, including one of (Kadhafi's) sons, Saadi, as well as three generals," Niger's Prime Minister Brigi Rafini said.

They crossed the border in four separate groups and had been taken in for "humanitarian reasons", he added.

The most recent arrivals included Saadi, the third of Kadhafi's seven sons, who has a reputation as a playboy; and eight of the fallen despot's other close associates, Rafini added.

US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Niger was preparing to detain Saadi.

"We have confirmed with the government of Niger that Saadi crossed over, that they are either in the process or have already brought him to the capital of Niamey and intend to detain him," she said.

On the diplomatic front, China which opposed the NATO campaign backing the anti-Kadhafi forces, finally recognised Libya's interim government after weeks of holding back.

Washington also announced it had sent an advance team to help its officials reopen the US embassy in Tripoli.

Libyan fighters positioned outside of Gadhafi strongholds

 Fighters pushed Sunday to the outskirts of one of Moammar Gadhafi's last bastions of support, setting the stage for possible clashes ahead of this week's deadline for loyalists of the ousted leader to surrender.

Libya's new leaders gave Gadhafi loyalists in Sirte, Bani Walid and a handful of towns until Saturday to

surrender or face military force.

But there were indications that fighters were planning to enter Bani Walid, where a powerful tribe is sympathetic to Gadhafi, before the deadline.

National Transitional Council media coordinator Adel Zintani told CNN's Kareem Khadder that fighters could enter Bani Walid by Sunday morning.

"The rebel fighters have surrounded the outskirts of Bani Walid on the western side," he said Saturday.

"Some tribal leaders and many of the residents have surrendered their weapons, but there are still many loyalists who are protecting Moammar Gadhafi and his sons," Zintani said.

The deadline was extended by a week to curb further bloodshed and prevent prevent further destruction, military commanders have said.

"This extension does not mean we are unaware of what Gadhafi's accomplices are up to," Jalil said at a news conference, countering earlier criticism that a grace period might give Gadhafi's forces to regroup.

But Gadhafi's spokesman, who has not been seen since Tripoli fell, said key tribal leaders in Bani Walid remain loyal to the ousted leader.

Musa Ibrahim, in a telephone call from an undisclosed location, told Reuters that the transitional council's messages "are not being heeded here in Bani Walid."

Ibrahim also told Reuters that Gadhafi remained in Libya, though he said he did not know where. He did say Gadhafi was well defended.

Anti-Gadhafi forces are positioning around the former leader's hometown, Sirte, and Bani Walid, said Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council, on Saturday.

Ali Tarhouni, interim deputy prime minister and oil minister of the NTC, said the Bani Walid was close to falling.

"It's possible, although we are not sure, that the Bani Walid (tribe) has joined the revolution, and now it's under control of the revolutionaries," he said.

Anti-Gadhafi fighters from the east pushed toward Bani Walid Saturday with virtually no resistance. They were able to reach El Mardum, which sits on the border of Bani Walid province and is home to Khamis Gadhafi's 32nd Brigade base.

The anti-Gadhafi forces entered the base and arrested three men in civilian clothes they claim were loyalists. They also took seven armored personnel carriers.

Tarhouni said Libya's new leadership will move their headquarters from Benghazi to Tripoli this week to begin implementing political plans to shape a new future.

But for the time being, guns trump government on the streets of the capital.

Tripoli has become a city of checkpoints, weapons and no real authority as the threat of Gadhafi's loyalists lingers.

Jittery and suspicious anti-Gadhafi fighters blocked a road Saturday where a drive-by shooting occurred earlier. They collected weapons and registered them at police stations. Those who called themselves rebels just a week ago were now working with Tripoli's law enforcement authorities.

With Gadhafi's armories emptied, guns -- always in large supply in Libya -- have proliferated on the streets.

Those who want to carry weapons now must be issued identification cards, but the selection process is not centralized -- neighborhood councils are making that decision.

A group called the Tripoli Revolutionary Council is trying to exert control over the city, creating the potential for further conflict with the established National Transitional Council in a volatile situation.

Tarhouni announced Saturday the formation of the Supreme Security Committee, which held its first meeting Friday. Among the priorities for the committee were the protection of public institutions and weapons in Tripoli.

The transitional council, meanwhile, is trying to get Libya's oil-dependent economy going again.

It expects to restart oil production at the Misla and Sarir oil fields in less than two weeks, Tarhouni said.

Libya rebels edge closer to Tripoli

Libyan rebels fought fierce battles in two coastal cities straddling the capital Tripoli on Friday, in their drive to topple leader Muammar Gaddafi.

While the rebels claim to have taken several key towns, they are also meeting stiff resistance from forces loyal to the long-time leader.

Sustained blasts from rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and anti-aircraft guns rang out from the center of Zawiyah, some 50 kilometers west of Tripoli.

After hours of intense street battles, rebels re-took the city's main square.

They entered Zawiyah earlier this week. The latest clashes came as they tried to consolidate their control on the city and its strategic oil refinery.

On the eastern front, there were bloody street battles in the city of Zlitan. A rebel spokesman says the town has been captured, but at least 32 rebel fighters were killed, with 150 injured.

Meanwhile, rebels are also said to be in control of the town of Surman, which sits on the road between Tripoli and the Tunisian border in the West.

But Libyan government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim has denied Surman is in rebel hands.

Recent rebel advances have cut off the Libyan capital from its main supply routes, putting Gaddafi's four-decades rule under heavy pressure.

'Gaddafi in talks with rebels'

Muammar Gaddafi's regime is in direct talks with Libya's rebels, a Russian envoy indicated on Thursday, as the strongman's son said the way out of a months-long conflict is the staging of elections. Russia's Mikhail Margelov, in Tripoli for one day after visiting the rebels in their Benghazi strongh old last week, made the remarks following a meeting Libyan Prime Minister Baghdadi al-Mahmudi. "I was assured at today's negotiations that direct contacts between Benghazi and Tripoli are already underway,"

Margelov said, quoted by Russia's ITAR-TASS news agency. "The Libyan prime minister told me that a round of such contacts concluded yesterday in Paris," he said, adding French President Nicolas Sarkozy "has been informed of the outcome of these contacts." He did not disclose the nature of the talks, which could not be confirmed by the rebels' National Transitional Council. Mahmudi said Gaddafi's departure from power was a "red line" that cannot be crossed, despite growing international calls for him to quit and the armed insurrection against his 41-year rule. "Of utmost concern to us in any dialogue is the unity of Libya," Mahmudi told a news conference in Tripoli. His remarks came after Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam said the only way to break the deadlock was to hold elections in coming months. "Elections, immediately and with international supervision. It's the only painless way to break out of the impasse in Libya," the son told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. A US official said that proposals by Gaddafi's inner circle for democratic elections were "a little late" and that the Libyan strongman's days in power were numbered. "It's a little late for any proposals by Gaddafi and his circles for democratic change. It's time for him to go," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland. Nato warplanes early on Thursday destroyed an apparently empty hotel, the Wenzrik, in central Tripoli near administrative buildings and Libya's state broadcaster, an AFP journalist reported. The authorities took reporters to the site of the dawn raid, which left only sections of wall standing. They said the attack caused no casualties. Libyan deputy foreign minister Khaled Kaaim later denounced what he called a "barbaric and premeditated raid by Nato on civilians." Kaaim refrained from commenting about Margelov's visit, but when pressed about possible negotiations about Gaddafi's departure, he said that "nobody can make such decisions." Rebels were seen patrolling the streets of Zawit Bagoul, 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) from Zintan. Pro-Gaddafi positions on the village outskirts were deserted and loyalists left behind clothes, shoes and ammunition. The rebels later also moved into Lawania, about seven kilometres away, and then Ghanymma, less than 10 kilometres from Yafran, as Nato aircraft were heard overhead. Nato, which has carried out 10 weeks of air strikes against Gaddafi's forces, can see out its mission without ground troops, its operations commander said in a briefing. Lieutenant General Charles Bouchard also said the military situation in western Libya, where there has been an upsurge in fighting, was developing "very positively." Senior military officials from Britain and France, key players in the Nato campaign, have expressed concerns about how to maintain the Nato operation, which has been extended for a second three-month period from June 27. But French foreign minister Alain Juppe said in Algeria that "a very large majority of the international community" wanted Gaddafi to depart, even though this was not an aim of the UN resolution authorising Nato strikes on Libya. Meanwhile Spain said that it was expelling Libyan ambassador Ageli Abdussalam Ali Breni over the Gaddafi regime's repression of civilians and expelling three embassy officials for unspecified activities. In Washington meanwhile, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton accused Gaddafi's forces of using rape and violence against women as "tools of war." Clinton said that the United States was "deeply concerned" by reports of wide scale rape in Libya and "troubled" by reports that governments across the Middle East and North Africa were using sexual violence to punish protesters. "Gaddafi's security forces and other groups in the region are trying to divide the people by using violence against women and rape as tools of war, and the United States condemns this in the strongest possible terms," she said.

Dozens Die in Fresh Gadhafi Offensive Near Misrata

At least 30 people were killed and more than 100 wounded, most of them rebel fighters, in a fierce offensive by Col. Moammar Gadhafi's forces Friday on the outskirts of Libya's rebel-held port city of Misrata. By nightfall, Misrata's rebels retained control of the farmland area known as Dafniya, some 18 miles to the west. Some rebels said they wanted to advance further west and capture Zlitin, the next regime-controlled town on the highway to Tripoli, with the help of recently deployed U.K. and French helicopters.

Others argued that Zlitin's residents must rise up first against Col. Gadhafi in order not to provoke tribal warfare. A British spokesman said Friday that U.K. Apache helicopters had been in action over Misrata on Thursday, destroying a regime military communications installation and multiple rocket launchers. Rebels said jets from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization bombed some of the advancing pro-Gadhafi forces Friday, a claim that couldn't immediately be confirmed. Casualties among the pro-regime forces were unknown. But an officer captured by rebels at the frontline said some 120 volunteer fighters were bused by the regime to Zlitin on Wednesday to back up soldiers in the offensive led by the Khamis Brigade, a unit named after and commanded by one of Col. Gadhafi's sons. "We came to Misrata to strike the rebels," the officer said during an interrogation by a rebel leader, witnessed inside a makeshift rebel camp. "They brought us as sacrificial lambs, believe me." A spokesman from the local military council said the fighting was some of the fiercest in the city's long battle against the Libyan government forces. Rebel witnesses said Col. Gadhafi's forces had attempted to retake Dafniya early Friday with several tanks, armored vehicles and rocket launchers. The tanks were firing at anything that moved on the coastal highway between Tripoli and Misrata, they said, making the road unusable. Many said that most of the casualties among the rebels were caused by artillery fire. Wing Commander Mike Bracken, a NATO spokesman, said Friday the front line near Zlitin is "volatile and unstable." "Whether Gadhafi forces are able to launch a large-scale attack remains unconfirmed," he said. Heavy rocket fire turned some of parts of Dafniya, a scenic area of pine, olive and palm trees, into smoldering fields. In one farm, rebel fighters rested behind earth berms as rockets whizzed overhead and gunfire crackled in the distance. Some fighters ahead launched rocket-propelled grenades in response. One fighter, Lutfi al-Ameen, said his unit was involved in close combat with pro-regime forces stationed five farms away after they tried to enter Dafniya from several areas. Asked if rebels would try to capture Zlitin he said: "It's crucial they [Zlitin residents] move first." Earlier rocket explosions were heard nonstop from early morning in Misrata. By midday, pickup trucks filled with rebel fighters were seen heading toward Dafniya. A flatbed truck laden with ammunition was also seen on its way to provide reinforcements. On a beach on the way to Dafniya, rebels were seen firing Russian-made Grad rockets from a launcher they had seized from pro-regime forces. A heavy stream of ambulances and emergency crews used an old road that hugs the shoreline to bring the dead and wounded to Misrata. Hundreds of people gathered outside Al-Hikma Hospital, which had posted a list of the casualties from the fighting. Doctors at Al-Hikma, which is akin to a private polyclinic, couldn't cope with the flow of casualties. Two triage tents setup in the parking lot were filled to capacity as the bodies of the dead were piled up into the pediatric and orthopedic clinics. "Identity unknown," read papers pasted on two body bags. A man in the hallway sobbed hysterically for his dead brother. Inside Misrata, rebels were on high alert and setting up checkpoints across the city to stop and search vehicles. The latest offensive by Col. Gadhafi's forces is believed to be an attempt to preempt rebels from advancing toward Tripoli, 120 miles to the west, or to Sirte, some 150 miles southeast of Misrata. The rebels appear to be undecided over whether to make an advance on either city, or remain in Misrata to retain control of the city, which they recaptured in May after a long and devastating siege. At a news conference held by the council on Thursday in Misrata, the council's spokesman, Fathi Bashagha, said the rebels wanted to advance toward Tripoli and then to Sirte. However, another spokesman said they needed to be cautious about advancing, and would only move toward the coastal town of Zlitin—the first large town west of Misrata on the road to Tripoli—when there is enough opposition within the town to rise up against government forces. So far, some fighters from Zlitin have joined the rebels in Misrata in their fight against the regime.

EU pledges long-term support to Libyan opposition

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has reiterated that Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi must relinquish power. She was speaking from the rebel stronghold Benghazi, where she also promised to offer long-term support to the Libyan opposition.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said, "Gaddafi must leave. And we must have a future for Libya that belongs to the people of Libya and moves forward as they would wish."

Ashton also announced the opening of EU's office in Benghazi, an effort to support the opposition.

Catherine Ashton said, "By opening the office of the European Union, I bring the commitment of the European Union 27 Member States -- and all of the institutions -- in support of the people of Benghazi and of the people of Libya."

Ashton says she's held talks on key issues with the Libyan opposition National Transitional Council, and representatives of young people, media, and human rights organization during her visit in Benghazi.

Catherine Ashton said, "We don't just come for today but we are here for the long term. What the European Union can offer is support as you build the country of the future, your institutions your economy and your political life, we will be here to support you every step of the way."

Earlier after meeting the Transitional Council chairman Mustafa Abdul Jalil, Ashton said the EU would support the opposition in border management and security reform.

Jalil told reporters that the opposition would abide by all the conventions and international laws. They plan to mobilize all the Libyan people to rebuild the country.

Ashton visited Benghazi's Liberation Square soon after the EU delegation arrived on Sunday morning. Her visit came shortly after NATO bombed the capital Tripoli and Gaddafi's nearby compound late Saturday.

New explosions rattle Tripoli as prosecutor seeks Gadhafi's arrest

Crowds in Tripoli gathered Tuesday morning outside two burning buildings -- the aftermath of what a Libyan official said were NATO airstrikes on government facilities.

Spokesman Musa Ibrahim said the buildings housed the ministry of popular inspection and oversight -- a government anti-corruption body -- and the head of the police force in Tripoli. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Earlier, the sounds two explosions and jets pierced through the night sky.

Some people ventured outside in the early morning hours to inspect the damage. Others, inlcuding a crowd of young men carrying a large portrait of Moammar Gadhafi and waving the country's green flag, marched in front of the buildings chanted slogans of support for the Libyan leader.

Documents were strewn all over the grounds of the ministry building. Ibrahim told reporters that in the last few days, the ministry of popular inspection and oversight had put together corruption files against leaders in the Libyan oppostion's Transitional National Council. He said the files "fortunately survived."

The area teemed with security forces, and men in civilian clothing carrying AK-47s shot into the air in a show of anger.

"Is this their (NATO's) protection of civilians or terrifying civilians?" one of the armed men told CNN. "This is a civilian neighborhood ... Residents are terrified."

NATO did not immediately announce whether it had conducted airstrikes in Tripoli early Tuesday.

The damage in Tripoli is one of the latest developments in Libya's see-saw war, which has raged for months with no end in sight.

On Monday evening, five consecutive blasts rocked the Tripoli hotel housing international journalists. The explosions were among the loudest and strongest heard at the hotel during the unrest.

Hours after the explosions, Ibrahim said he had no information on the blasts.

NATO is operating under a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the use of force and any means -- except foreign occupation -- to protect civilians. Allied forces have conducted airstrikes on Gadhafi's resources for almost two months.

Libyan opposition members are demanding freedom and an end to Gadhafi's nearly 42-year rule. But Gadhafi has refused to step down.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court sought the arrest of Gadhafi and two relatives Monday, linking them to "widespread and systematic" attacks on civilians.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo told reporters his office has "direct evidence" linking Gadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam Gadhafi and his brother-in-law Abdullah al-Sanussi to crimes against humanity.

"The evidence shows that Moammar Gadhafi personally ordered attacks on unarmed Libyan civilians," he said. "His forces attacked Libyan civilians in their homes and in the public space, shot demonstrators with live ammunition, used heavy weaponry against participants in funeral processions and placed snipers to kill those leaving mosques after prayers."

Ibrahim, the government spokesman, denied accusations against the regime.

"We have never in any stage of the crisis in Libya ordered the killing of civilians or hired mercenaries against our people," he said. "In fact, it is the rebels who took up arms in the middle of our peaceful cities."

Judges on the international court must now decide whether to issue the arrest warrants Moreno-Ocampo wants.

Meanwhile, security forces in Libya are accused of using sexual enhancement drugs as a "machete" and gang-raping women they stop at checkpoints, according to Moreno-Ocampo.

He told CNN Monday that the court in The Hague will investigate allegations of institutionalized rape in Libya.

"There are rapes. The issue is who organized them," Moreno-Ocampo told CNN's Nic Robertson. "They were committed in some police barracks. Were the policemen prosecuted? What happened?" he asked.

Moreno-Ocampo said the criminal court has information about women who were stopped at checkpoints and, because they were carrying the flag of the rebels, were taken by police and gang raped.

He also said there were reports of the use of male sexual enhancement drugs, which he called a "tool of massive rape."

"There's some information with Viagra. So, it's like a machete," he said.

Libya: Bombardment versus air strikes (Foto-Gallery)

Libyan government forces bombarded a residential area outside Misrata on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the rebels are trying to maintain their grip on the city in the face of a fierce onslaught.

Fighting in the port city of Misrata has ebbed and flowed over the past few weeks but rebels gained ground after they broke through a frontline and consolidated their position west of the city.

The latest progress has increased prospects that the siege of Misrata by the government forces can be broken.

The opposition says they have also made gains near the eastern town of Ajdabiyah and are hopeful that accelerated attacks by NATO would enable them to further capitalize on some of their biggest advances in weeks.

On Tuesday, NATO carried out missile strikes against a government command and control facility in downtown Tripoli. NATO says all the targets are military ones, and denies that it was targeting Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

Libyan officials said NATO's overnight air strikes in the Tripoli area wounded four children, two seriously, due to flying glass caused by blasts.

Gadhafi forces repel rebels

A sustained counterattack by Libyan government troops sent overmatched rebel fighters fleeing eastward for almost 100 miles Tuesday, erasing many of the weekend gains by opposition forces attempting to overthrow Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.

Panicked and badly rattled, hundreds of rebels sped away from the front to escape fierce rocket barrages by Gadhafi's soldiers and militiamen. Rebel gun trucks raced three abreast and jostled madly for position on a coastal highway choked with retreating fighters and civilians. At one point, rebels surrendered 70 miles of terrain in just four hours.

It was a humiliating rout for a volunteer fighting force that had advanced 150 miles in 24 hours over the weekend behind allied airstrikes that pummeled government troops and armor. Many rebels had spoken confidently of marching on Tripoli, the capital, buoyed by false news reports Monday that their forces had captured Gadhafi's hometown garrison of Sirte.

But by Tuesday afternoon, those same rebels were in headlong retreat from Bin Jawwad, which they had seized only Sunday. Many fled 25 miles east to Ras Lanuf, the oil city captured by the opposition Saturday. By nightfall, the city and its refinery were under government assault as the rebel retreat spilled farther east.

The swift battlefield reversal underscored the mercurial nature of the war in the east, where neither side seems strong enough to vanquish the other.

Nearly a month of fighting has raged back and forth across a 220-mile stretch of coastal wasteland in a nation with a coastline of nearly 1,100 miles.

The headlong retreat from Bin Jawwad marked the second time in just 23 days that government forces had routed rebels there. The town is on the fault line between eastern and western Libya, with several tribes in the area split between the two sides.

By nightfall Tuesday, some rebel gun trucks had retreated all way east to Uqaylah, 45 miles from Ras Lanuf -- and nearly 120 miles from the spot where rebels had advanced to within 50 miles of Sirte 24 hours earlier.

Among those fleeing were rebels driving trucks mounted with the opposition's most effective weapons: 106mm artillery, heavy machine guns and recoilless rifles. Rebels firing behind sand dunes shouted at them to turn around, but they ignored them and sped east.

Some fighters acknowledged that they felt helpless against the BM-21 Grad rocket systems that pounded rebel positions throughout the day. There was no sign near Bin Jawwad of Grad batteries that rebels seized from government forces last weekend.

"When the Grads hit, we all ran," said Abdelsalam Ali, 37, a taxi driver armed with an assault rifle. "They're too strong for us."

Asked if he would stand his ground and fight if the government advance continued, Ali shrugged and replied, "It's not wise to face these guys when they have heavy weapons and we don't. I'm trying to do this in a safe way."

Also fleeing was Mohammed Fatallah, 42, a businessman armed with a submachine gun manufactured in 1949. He said he also was leery of Grad rockets to stand and fight for Bin Jawwad.

"If the planes will hit Gadhafi's men, well, then I'll go there and fight," Fatallah said. "If the planes don't attack, we'll get pushed back even more."

Other lightly armed rebels said they retreated because they were told that only heavy machine guns and antiaircraft systems were needed at the front. But those claims proved suspect when rebel gun trucks fled from the front towing those very weapons.

Many rebels gave up any pretense, at least for the day, of marching on Sirte or on to Tripoli.

Gadhafi's forces have built well-defended fortifications about 50 miles east of Sirte, which has been attacked by the Western-led alliance. But even after airstrikes routed Gadhafi's men from eastern Libyan cities, government troops are still better armed and better led than the rebels.

The defense of Sirte is important to Gadhafi because it is the last major pro-Gadhafi redoubt between the current front and Tripoli, 275 miles west. The city is dominated by well-armed members of Gadhafi's Gadhadhfa tribe.

More than 100 miles east of Sirte, gas shortages hobbled some rebel forces. Many rebel vehicles carry extra containers of gasoline. But some rebels, joined by civilians, crowded into gas stations closed for lack of electricity. Using rope, they lowered empty water bottles weighted with stones into underground storage tanks to scoop up gasoline.

Later, rebels set fire to an abandoned armored troop carrier and a cement truck as they retreated, apparently to keep them out of government hands.

The day began with a fierce government assault early Tuesday, the second in as many days. Rebels at first retreated to new lines a few miles east of a desert crossroads. There, they watched government rockets crash down two miles away, sending up plumes of dirty brown smoke.

The dull thump of artillery and heavy machine-gun fire sounded in and around Bin Jawwad at mid-day as rebels fought desperately to hold positions there.

Plumes of black smoke rose over the grimy coastal town as volleys of rocket and artillery fire echoed across the desert. Ambulances with blaring sirens sped west, their paramedics frantically treating wounded fighters.

At 2:30 p.m., a furious government fusillade stirred panic among rebel volunteers and defecting army regulars fighting alongside them. About 200 fighters suddenly abandoned their positions east of Bin Jawwad in a mad dash to safety.

Two larger, more chaotic retreats erupted an hour later as hundreds of rebels fled another 25 miles eastward. Some fired their weapons into the air at random. They were cursed by other fleeing fighters for wasting precious ammunition.

A few fighters shouted "Allahu Akbar!" -- God is great -- over their shoulders with little conviction as they abandoned the fight.

Those same rebels earlier had boldly proclaimed their intent to not only hold their ground but also mount an assault on Sirte. Bernwi, the exterminator-turned-fighter, vowed to march to Tripoli "to exterminate the biggest rat -- Gadhafi."

Just two hours later, a stiff desert wind blew in the faces of terrified fighters speeding east, and Bin Jawwad was abandoned to Gadhafi's men.

The government counterattack began overnight with rocket barrages that scattered poorly organized rebel positions west of Bin Jawwad. By early morning Tuesday, dozens of rebels sped east into Bin Jawwad, fleeing gunfire and explosions.

Furious arguments broke out over the proper way to hold off the government assault. With no formal leadership and no coordinated tactics, the rebels are not a unified fighting force but a collection of enthusiastic but untrained men with guns.

Some fighters set up truck-mounted 106mm artillery tubes atop sand dunes and fired at advancing government forces. Others turned their gun trucks around and drove cautiously toward the fight, only to suddenly turn and flee again at the sound of enemy fire.

Still other fighters crouched behind sand dunes and embankments along the Mediterranean coast, armed only with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. Some squinted helplessly through binoculars at Grad rockets exploding along the highway a mile west.

Rebels said they were lured by Gadhafi gunmen into an ambush late Monday about 50 miles east of Sirte. Bernwi and other gunmen said a group of government militiamen raised a white flag to draw the rebels close, then opened fire with heavy machine guns.

As the rebels retreated toward Bin Jawwad, they passed several groups of rebel fighters lounging on sand dunes and feasting on meals provided by rebel supporters.

The men were implored to stand and fight, retreating rebels said. But these fighters, too, turned their gun trucks around and sped east toward the rapidly collapsing rebel lines.

Libya: Gaddafi forces keep up assault on rebel cities

Fighting has been continuing in Libya for key cities after a fifth consecutive night of air strikes.

Overnight several loud explosions were heard in Tripoli

In Misrata, a rebel-held city east of the capital, government tanks have been shelling the area near the hospital.

There have also been reports of fierce fighting between rebels and pro-Gaddafi forces in strategic Ajdabiya. Residents fleeing the town described shelling, gunfire and houses on fire.

In Misrata, Libya's third-largest city, witnesses had said on Wednesday that tanks had pulled back from their positions under air assault from international forces.

But later residents said the tanks had rolled back into the city and resumed shelling.

An explosion was also reported at a military base in the Tajura region east of Tripoli.

Residents in Tripoli said plumes of black smoke could be seen coming from an area near a military base, although this has not been independently confirmed.

Earlier, the US chief of staff for the mission in Libya insisted there had been no reports of civilian casualties caused by allied action.

Rear Admiral Gerard Hueber's comments come despite claims to the contrary by Muammar Gaddafi's government.

Operational control

Earlier, British Air Vice Marshal Greg Bagwell said Col Gaddafi's air force no longer existed as a fighting force.

AVM Bagwell said the allies could now operate "with near impunity" over the skies of Libya and were now applying unrelenting pressure on the Libyan armed forces.

"We are watching over the innocent people of Libya and ensuring that we protect them from attack," he said. "We have the Libyan ground forces under constant observation and we attack them whenever they threaten civilians or attack population centres."

His comments came as Nato members debated who should lead the intervention, with the US keen to hand over operational control to Nato.

Nato members have been holding talks about assuming responsibility for the no-fly zone over Libya, so far without agreement.

Turkey is an integral part of the naval blockade, but has expressed concern about the alliance taking over command of the no-fly zone from the US.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has again urged Col Gaddafi to step down and leave Libya.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has urged all sides in Libya to cease hostilities. "All those who violate international humanitarian and human rights law will be held fully accountable," his spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates is in the Egyptian capital Cairo for talks on both Libya and Egypt's hoped-for transition to democracy following the fall of Hosni Mubarak.

Battles rage for control of Libya (Video)

Anti-Gaddafi fighters continue to come under fire, unable to progress further in their fight to reclaim the town of Ajdabiya.

Finding themselves outgunned - and with no communication facilities and little structure to their forces - they have been left to run sporadic raids against troops loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, before coming under fire and returning to their orginal lines on the road from Benghazi.

Mohamed Hariri, a Libyan former special forces colonel, tells Al Jazeera the young volunteers, lacking experience and training, are brave "to the point of being suicidal".

"They are really heroes," he said. "Why else would these young people sacrifice themselves, so this country can have a better life?"

Airstrikes continue

Overnight, anti-aircraft fire erupted over the Libyan capital, Tripoli, after a day of heavy fighting between pro-democracy fighters and Gaddafi's troops.

Gunner crews began shooting at aerial targets shortly after nightfall in the capital on Tuesday, four nights after an international military coalition launched an operation to enforce a no-fly zone over the country.

"We've been hearing big noises. We've heard some explosions in the last 10 minutes," Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from Tripoli, said.

"We haven't seen any smoke on the horizon. People are firing guns in defiance. We're in the loyalist heartland here where people are utterly defiant of the international effort to force Gaddafi to surrender, as they would see it.

"The anti-aircraft fire has not been as intense [as Monday night when two naval installations outside the city were hit]. Perhaps they feel in the immediate neighbourhood that most of the significant targets have already been hit."

The AFP news agency reported that at least two blasts were heard at a distance before the capital's air defences opened fire.

Several strong detonations followed, said the journalists who were unable to determine the site of the explosions.

They said anti-aircraft fire streaked into the night sky for around 10 minutes, especially in the area near Gaddafi's residence, not far from the hotel where the international press corps is housed.

In the previous night's operations, the coalition air campaign suffered its first loss with the crash of a US fighter jet in the rebel-held east.

Both crew ejected safely.

The no-fly zone is intended to protect civilians from attack by forces loyal to Gaddafi in their battles with opposition fighters. The United States announced on Tuesday that it is shifting its focus to widen the no-fly zone across the north African country.

Despite the strikes, Gaddafi has remained defiant. The Libyan leader made a public appearance at his Bab Al-Aziziyah compound in Tripoli that was the target on Sunday of a coalition missile strike, Libyan state television reported.

In televised remarks, Gaddafi said Libya was "ready for battle, be it long or short".

"We will win this battle," footage showed him telling supporters at the compound. "The masses were the strongest anti-air defences."

"This assault ... is by a bunch of fascists who will end up in the dustbin of history."

Fighting rages

The developments came after a day of intense fighting in the three Libyan cities of Misurata, Ajdabiya and Zintan.

Forces loyal to Gaddafi have been shelling Misurata for days, pressing their siege of the embattled western city. Four children were killed in the shelling on Tuesday and at least 40 people were killed on Monday, a resident said.

There was also fierce fighting further east in Ajdabiya. Opposition fighters were seen retreating in the face of an attack by government forces.

Al Jazeera's Tony Birtley, reporting from an area close to Ajdabiya, said there had been clashes outside the city.

"There's been heavy fighting and heavy shelling going on ... the rebels told me there have been heavy casualties and there are a number of corpses between here and the town [of Ajdabiya] that they have been unable to reach," he said.

Meanwhile, around 106km south of Tripoli, Libyan pro-democracy fighters forced government troops to withdraw from the outskirts of Zintan, breaking a siege of the town.

A resident of Zintan told the Reuters news agency that at least 10 people were killed in the bombardment by Gaddafi's forces.

"Gaddafi's forces bombarded Zintan this morning and killed 10 to 15 people," Abdulrahman said.

"After the bombardment they retreated from the eastern area of Zintan. But they have not withdrawn from the northern area. There is still a huge number of soldiers there, backed with 50 to 60 tanks and several vehicles."

Breaking News: Gaddafi vows 'no mercy' in attack on Benghazi

TRIPOLI: Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi said his forces will soon launch an assault on rebel stronghold Benghazi, saying "traitors" would be showed no mercy but those who laid down their arms would be spared.

"The decision has been taken. Prepare yourselves. We will arrive tonight," Gaddafi said on state television.

"We will chase the traitors from Benghazi," he told his troops. "Destroy their fortifications. Show them no mercy. The world needs to see Benghazi free."

Meanwhile, he said "those who surrender and throw down their arms will be saved."

Sticking to recurring claims throughout the month-old rebellion that al-Qaida is behind it, Gaddafi said "we will hunt down the miscreants and bearded ones that have destroyed out country and we will punish them without mercy."

"We will also punish the mercenaries who have served them," he added, without saying to whom he was referring.

Gaddafi said the insurgents "take their strength from lies, and you do not have to spare them."

Touching on another recurring theme of his public statements about the rebels, he said they needed to be "hunted down in every neighbourhood, every street, every house."

Gaddafi, who came to power in a bloodless 1969 coup against Libya's monarchy, said "I freed Benghazi with my rifle, and Benghazi will not betray me. Tomorrow Benghazi will be free."

He accused the rebels of using people who had fled from prisons, criminals and murderers to do the "traitorous acts."

This "handful of drug addicts and criminals are in the process of making a racket so that the Americans and the Europeans can come into hour houses, humiliate you and stain your honour."

Libyan rebels say Ras Lanuf under heavy bombardment

The rebel leadership said on Thursday that the oil port of Ras Lanuf in eastern Libya is under heavy bombardment.
Asked about a Libyan state television report that government forces had cleared Ras Lanuf of "armed gangs", Hafiz Ghoga, spokesman for the National Libyan Council, said: "No, this is not accurate."

Libya: UN appoints envoy and agrees humanitarian visit

The UN has appointed a new envoy on Libya and is to send a humanitarian team as the battle between forces loyal to Col Gaddafi and rebels intensifies.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon named a former Jordanian minister to deal with Libya and said Col Gaddafi had agreed to allow an assessment team into Tripoli.

The UN's top humanitarian official also demanded urgent access to the town of Misrata after fierce fighting there.

 Rebels have been trying to fight off a counter-offensive by Gaddafi forces.

Col Gaddafi's forces have been attacking both near Tripoli and in the east after recent rebel gains.

'Hospital bombed'

A statement from Mr Ban's office said the UN secretary general "notes that civilians are bearing the brunt of the violence, and calls for an immediate halt to the government's disproportionate use of force and indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets".

The statement continued: "He stresses that those who violate international humanitarian law or commit grave crimes must be held accountable."

Mr Ban has appointed Jordan's former foreign minister, Abdelilah Al-Khatib, as his special envoy "to undertake urgent consultations with the authorities in Tripoli and in the region on the immediate humanitarian situation," the statement said.

Mr Ban also said Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa had agreed to accept the immediate dispatch of a humanitarian assessment team to the capital.

UN relief co-ordinator Valerie Amos said that after heavy fighting in Misrata, 200km (125 miles) east of Tripoli, "people are injured and dying and need help immediately".

Government troops with tanks and artillery fought their way into rebel-held Misrata on Saturday before being forced back.

"I call on the authorities to provide access without delay to allow aid workers to help save lives," Baroness Amos said.

A local doctor told the BBC that 21 dead and more than 100 wounded had arrived at his hospital, which he said was also targeted by government troops.

He said the fighting went on for at least six hours.

"They bombed all the houses with heavy weapons. They intentionally gunned and exploded our drug store. They bombed even around our hospital but fortunately nobody was injured. More than five mosques which I know are bombed."

A resident of Misrata, Mohamed Benrasali, told the BBC there were joyous scenes there as the Gaddafi forces were turned back.

He said one government tank had been blown up and 16 Gaddafi soldiers killed. Other soldiers had been captured and would be interrogated on Monday.

With a population of 300,000, Misrata is the largest town controlled by rebels outside their stronghold in the eastern part of the country.

Residents have called for the international community to establish a no-fly zone over Libya to prevent Col Gaddafi's air force from attacking.

In the US, ex-ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson and ex-national security adviser Stephen Hadley were among those advocating the supply of arms to rebels.

'Bigger attack'

Rebels in Zawiya, 50km west of Tripoli, also said they repulsed an attack by government forces on Sunday.

"There was a new attack, bigger than yesterday," rebel spokesman Youssef Shagan told Reuters.

"There were one-and-a-half hours of fighting... Two people were killed from our side and many more injured. We are still in full control of the square."

The anti-government forces are centred in the eastern city of Benghazi. The rebels have set up a Transitional National Council that has called on the international community to recognise it as Libya's sole government.

On Sunday troops backed by helicopter gunships had attacked the major oil town of Ras Lanuf which was taken by rebel forces on Saturday. It is 160km east of Col Gaddafi's well-defended hometown of Sirte.

Rebels said their forces withdrew from Bin Jawad - about 50km north-west of Ras Lanuf - after coming under attack when they advanced.

The UN estimates that more than 1,000 people have died in nearly three weeks of unrest in Libya, which follows public protests in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt that saw their longtime authoritarian leaders overthrown.

An estimated 200,000 people - mostly foreign workers - have fled the country, creating a humanitarian crisis along Libya's border with Tunisia.

The UN Security Council approved sanctions last week imposing asset freezes and travel bans on Col Gaddafi and his family and aides.

The resolution also referred Col Gaddafi and his inner circle to the International Criminal Court for investigation of crimes against humanity.