Libyan rebels forces are advancing on Muammar Gaddafi's home town, Sirte.

Libyan rebels are advancing on Muammar Gaddafi's home town, Sirte, after retaking all the ground lost in earlier fighting as government forces broke and fled under western air strikes.

Revolutionary forces rapidly moved more than 250 km west along Libya's coastal road, seizing several towns without resistance, as the first witness accounts emerged of the devastating effect on Gaddafi's army and militia of the aerial bombardment that broke their resistance at Ajdabiya on Saturday.

Today, rebels retook the important oil towns of Brega, Ras Lanuf and Ben Jawad, and continued on the open desert road toward Sirte, about 150 km away.

The key focus in the battle for western Libya has now shifted to Misrata.It is the rebels’ only outpost in the west of the country, and has been under government assault for days now.

Coalition air strikes are thought to be targeting sites in the west of Libya, Gaddafi’s stronghold of Sirte and Misrata.