Libyan rebels forces are advancing on Muammar Gaddafi's home town Sirte 2703115

: Posted On Sunday, 27 March 2011 15:04

Defense News - The conflict in Libya

Sunday, March 27, 2011, 08:38 PM

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

In Libya, convoys of jubilant rebel forces are pushing westwards into the heartland of the Gaddafi regime. It comes after they reportedly took control of the eastern coastal towns of Ras Lanuf, Brega and Uqayla. Pressure from the allied airstrikes forced government forces to fall back.

Libya combat map situation march 27, 2011 08:38 PM

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.