Libya Rebels Claim to Have Recaptured Brega from Gaddafi

Libyan rebel soldiers preparing in Brega, 07 March 2011, guarding the road to Ras Lanuf. EPA/BGNES

A day after the forces of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi captured the town of Brega in eastern Libya, rebels claim they have reconquered.

Only hours after rebel forces were reported to have left the town, they issued claims that they again controlled Brega, having killed or captured several government troops. A group of special forces reportedly were responsible for capturing the town during Sunday night.

The rebels are also reported to have taken captives more than 70 Gaddafi loyalist troops, as cited by international media.

However, the claims of the rebels about the situation in Brega have been refuted by the Libyan regime, and there are numerous reports that the Gaddafi forces are closing in on the rebels slowly but surely.

Ajdabiya, the last major town before the rebel base in Benghazi, eastern Libya, came under heavy aerial attack. And in the west, ground forces and tanks were shelling the town of Zuwara, the BBC reported.

Reports say that with fighting continuing in the east of Libya, it is not clear exactly where the front line is.

The BBC points out that the eastern oil town of Brega changed hands several times over the weekend, amid a relentless barrage of air and ground attacks by government forces.

Rebel forces said on Monday that they had retaken the town, capturing a number of elite government troops and killing others. The statement has not been independently confirmed.

In western Libya, a government assault on the rebel-held city of Misrata seems to have stalled.

Misrata, some 200 km east of the capital, is the only major city held by insurgents outside the east of the country.

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