AFP
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi launched a counter-offensive on rebels in the southwest but were repulsed, after NATO warplanes blitzed military targets in the capital.
An AFP correspondent reported that rebels on Sunday repelled an attack aimed at recapturing the desert hamlet of Gualish on the road to Tripoli, which loyalist forces lost to the insurgents in fierce fighting earlier this month.
Rebels in Gualish said they had prevented regime forces from getting within a kilometre of the hamlet, and that they had been sent reinforcements from Zintan, the main rebel base in western Libya.
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Before launching their counter-attack, loyalist forces sent dozens of civilians into the hamlet to announce their imminent arrival, rebel witnesses told AFP.
An AFP correspondent within earshot reported that two hours of intense fighting then took place.
In the capital itself, Gaddafi's compound again came under NATO air attack.
"We will keep fighting the Gaddafi mafia till it's gone," said Adam Nouh, an oil engineer, cheering the rebel forces on.
In Brega, six dead bodies lay in the morge. Hospital officials and volunteers pointed out four bodies of rebels and two others who they said were Gaddafi mercenaries. They said they found Nigerian identification papers on one body.
Rebels say Gaddafi has turned to African mercenaries to fight his battles for him.
Outside in the street, hundreds of people cheered, flicked "V-for-victory" signs, and some fired volleys into the air to celebrate their victory.
Witnesses said about 15 Gaddafi loyalists were killed or wounded in the assault on Brega but that the casualties were taken away by the Libyan leader's forces.
Without enough weapons to go round, some had simply filled Pepsi bottles with petrol and stuffed them with cloth strips ready to light up and hurl.
In Ajdabiyah hospital, seven wounded men were wheeled in to the operating room. Some were bloodied and delirious. Those who could, held up two fingers. Bystanders shouted: "Allahu Akbar" -- God is great.
Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi launched a counter-offensive on rebels in the southwest but were repulsed, after NATO warplanes blitzed military targets in the capital.
An AFP correspondent reported that rebels on Sunday repelled an attack aimed at recapturing the desert hamlet of Gualish on the road to Tripoli, which loyalist forces lost to the insurgents in fierce fighting earlier this month.
Rebels in Gualish said they had prevented regime forces from getting within a kilometre of the hamlet, and that they had been sent reinforcements from Zintan, the main rebel base in western Libya.
Advertisement: Story continues below
Before launching their counter-attack, loyalist forces sent dozens of civilians into the hamlet to announce their imminent arrival, rebel witnesses told AFP.
An AFP correspondent within earshot reported that two hours of intense fighting then took place.
In the capital itself, Gaddafi's compound again came under NATO air attack.
"We will keep fighting the Gaddafi mafia till it's gone," said Adam Nouh, an oil engineer, cheering the rebel forces on.
In Brega, six dead bodies lay in the morge. Hospital officials and volunteers pointed out four bodies of rebels and two others who they said were Gaddafi mercenaries. They said they found Nigerian identification papers on one body.Rebels say Gaddafi has turned to African mercenaries to fight his battles for him.
Outside in the street, hundreds of people cheered, flicked "V-for-victory" signs, and some fired volleys into the air to celebrate their victory.
Witnesses said about 15 Gaddafi loyalists were killed or wounded in the assault on Brega but that the casualties were taken away by the Libyan leader's forces.
Without enough weapons to go round, some had simply filled Pepsi bottles with petrol and stuffed them with cloth strips ready to light up and hurl.
In Ajdabiyah hospital, seven wounded men were wheeled in to the operating room. Some were bloodied and delirious. Those who could, held up two fingers. Bystanders shouted: "Allahu Akbar" -- God is great.
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