Libyan Rebels plan push towards Tripoli

Libyan rebels who seized a town, Bir al-Ghanam, 80 km (50 miles) south of Tripoli said they would now push on towards Muammar Gaddafi's stronghold in the capital but expected a tough fight.

This small settlement in the desert is now the closest rebel position to Tripoli and its capture at the weekend is likely to inject some new momentum into a six-month campaign to oust Gaddafi which has been faltering over the past few weeks.

According to rebels in the town on Monday, they moved in on Saturday under cover from NATO warplanes.

Anti-Gaddafi fighters had been camped since late June on the outskirts of Bir al-Ghanam, unable to advance.

Zawiyah was the scene of two failed uprisings against Gaddafi's rule since February.

Many of the fighters in Bir al-Ghanam are from there, although a number of those who took part in the uprisings are now in prison or dead.

"Our aim is to get to Zawiyah. Once we do that Gaddafi is finished," said rebel fighter Murad Bada.

Crude exports in sight

In the eastern third of Libya, rebel officials said they had created a security force to protect oil installations, a step which could allow them to resume regular crude exports.

The capture of Bir al-Ghanam is the biggest rebel breakthrough in weeks of largely static fighting on three fronts across Libya. But that alone is not enough to undermine Gaddafi's grip on power.

Stiffer resistance ahead

The small rebel force approaching from the south could face much stiffer resistance as it draws nearer to the capital, where Gaddafi's troops are concentrated and where he can count on a certain level of popular support.

The rebel advance elsewhere has been hampered by divisions and infighting, as well as a lack of experience in warfare.

Libya's prime minister told reporters in Tripoli on Sunday that government forces were in control of Bir al-Ghanam after fighting off a rebel attack.

Report says the only sign of government forces in the town early on Monday, was the weaponry they had left behind when they fled.

REUTERS/Williams