Cairo, Mar 13: After a series of counter-attacks by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the outgunned and loosely organized rebels were today pushed out of eastern oil town of Brega, as the Arab League supported a 'no-fly' zone to halt the advance of the Libyan military to opposition stronghold of Benghazi.
The military, loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, have cleared "armed gangs" from the oil-rich town of Brega in the east, Libyan state TV quoted unnamed army sources as saying today.
"Brega has been cleansed of armed gangs," it said, but the report could not be immediately confirmed. The claim comes amid a string of setbacks for the rebels who lost several cities in the east to pro-Gaddafi forces.
The pro-Gaddafi forces have been swiftly advancing on the rebels who had taken control of much of the eastern parts of the country, Al Zazeera channel said.
It said if the fall of Brega, just 240 kilometres west of Benghazi, is confirmed it would deal a serious blow to the opposition's morale and momentum.
"Dozens of rebel fighters are pulling out of the area amid heavy shelling," BBC quoted witnesses as saying.
It said Gaddafi's troops are on the outskirts of the Misrata, last major rebel base in western Libya, with tank fire being heard.
Troops loyal to Gaddafi on Saturday had pushed the front line miles deeper into rebel territory to just 40km outside Brega, the site of a major oil terminal, Al Zazeera said.
Amid the setbacks on the ground, the the morale of the rebels have been boosted by the Arab League's support to the UNSC to impose a no-fly zone over Libya..
"The Arab League asks the United Nations to shoulder its responsibility ... to impose a no-fly zone over the movement of Libyan military planes and to create safe zones in the places vulnerable to air strikes," said the 22-member organisation in a statement yesterday.
The Arab bloc said the Gaddafi regime had "lost its sovereignty," pilling up pressure on the US and other Western nations to move fast on the plan to protect civilians from air attack by forces loyal to the embattled leader.
It also appeared to confer legitimacy on the rebels' interim government, the National Council, saying it would establish contacts with the group.
The Arab League's approval for a 'no-fly' zone is likely to encourage the US and its European allies to move ahead with enforcing the zone, which will effectively neutralise Gaddafi's air power.
The UK and France have come out openly in support of the idea, but firm backing from the EU or Nato has been lacking so far.
Gaddafi's forces have already reclaimed the rebel-held Zawahiya town and strategic oil port of Ras Lanuf, 40 kilometres west of Brega, Al Jazeera said.
"We have to remember that this is not an organised army. This is a group of teachers, engineers, street cleaners - people who have had no association with weapons whatsoever," it said.
The counter offensive by the Gaddafi forces comes amid media speculation of a mutiny among government troops with a top commander defecting to the rebels. The report suggested that the troops were uneasy with the idea of killing civilians in the military onslaught.
Amid the looming humanitarian crisis, Rashid Khalikov, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya, reached Tripoli today to discuss access for aid workers throughout the restive country.
"Our most immediate challenge is humanitarian," Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said this week. "With each day, the death toll mounts and the situation of the Libyan people row more desperate," he said at the UN.
According to UN estimates, over 1,000 people have been killed since Libya's uprising began in mid-February. More than 200,000 people have fled the country, most of them foreign workers.
Even as the US has let its EU and Nato allies take the initiative for a 'no fly' zone, American President Barack Obama has warned that "the noose" around the Libyan ruler was tightening.
Speaking at a White House news conference yesterday, obama said the international community had an obligation to prevent a Rawanda-style civilian massacre in the northern African nation.
"Across the board, we are slowly tightening the noose on Gaddafi," Obama said at a White House news conference, which was dominated by the Libyan uprising and the Japanese tsunami tragedy.
As forces loyal to Gaddafi recaptured some lost territory, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today begins an overseas tour to build consensus on the international action against the Libyan dictator.
She is expected to visit Paris and Egypt to discuss global action amid growing pressure for the international community to respond to the delicate situation in Libya.
Clinton is expected to meet rebel representative in Paris, Mahmoud Jibril, the head of foreign affairs in the National Council.
Top US Senators have asked the Obama administration to take "meaningful actions" against the country's regime before it is too late, including through imposition of a no-fly zone and recognition of the opposition National Council.
The US should take actions like "the imposition of a no fly zone, recognition of the Transitional National Council as the legitimate government of Libya, and provide assistance to them that will help them prevail in their fight against Gaddafi," Senators John McCain and Joe Lieberman, said in Washington. PTI
