Pro-Gaddafi forces today stepped its military offensive against the rebels, who are desperately seeking to defend the key town of Ajdabiya, as world powers considered a 'no-flying' zone over Libya.
Pro-Gaddafi forces today stepped its military offensive against the rebels, who are desperately seeking to defend the key town of Ajdabiya, as world powers considered a 'no-flying' zone over Libya.
The attack on Ajdabiya, little over 100 kilometres to the west of Benghazi, is seen by the rebels as "a vital city" and "the last line of defence" to Benghazi, the stronghold of the rebels. It is Libya's second largest city and capital of the opposition's interim National Council.
"It's on the route to the east, to Benghazi and to Tobruk and also to the south. Ajdabiya's defence is very important... We will defend it," rebel commander General Abdel Fatah Yunis, who resigned as Muammar Gaddafi's interior minister, was quoted as saying by Al-Jazeera channel.
It said "Gaddafi forces are advancing and it seems that fighting is carrying on and coming close to Benghazi."
"It seems like we are entering the final phase of the conflict but whether this revolution will fail or succeed, that will only be determined in the coming weeks," it said.
Ahead of a key meeting of G8 foreign ministers in Paris today to consider options for Libya, British foreign secretary William Hague said the restive nation risks becoming a "pariah state" if remains at the helm of affairs.
"If Gaddafi went on to be able to dominate much of the country, well this would be a long nightmare for the Libyan people, and this would be a pariah state," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.
As US secretary of state Hillary Clinton and other top diplomats from the G8 nations were gathering in Paris, France said it was discussing the setting up a 'no-fly' zone to protect civilians "in the face of the terrible violence suffered by the Libyan population."
Even as Britain and France, which are drafting a resolution for the UN Security Council, have come out openly in support of the idea, firm backing from the EU or Nato has been lacking so far.
Rebels, who have retreated from the eastern oil town of Brega amid relentless pounding by troops loyal to Gaddafi, have called for a no-fly zone to defang Libya's air force.
The recapture of Brega by Gaddafi's forces led to the killing 25 government soldiers and capturing 20 others, Al-Jazeera said, adding it came amid a string of setbacks for the rebels who lost several cities in the east to the Libyan Army.
As the Gaddafi regime wrested back momentum against a month-long uprising, the rebels received morale-boosting support from the Arab League who on Saturday approved a no-fly zone over Libya and establishing contacts with oppositions' provisional National Council based in Benghazi.
It also appeared to confer legitimacy on the rebels' National Council, saying it would establish contacts with the group.
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