Libyan rebels celebrate win in battle near Tripoli

[Akoto]

Source: Associated Press

TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) -- Residents of the rebel-held city closest to Libya's capital celebrated with a victory march Tuesday after repelling an overnight attack by Moammar Gadhafi's forces. But troops loyal to the longtime leader clamped down on a strategic mountain town as they fought to reclaim areas near Tripoli, residents said.

The rebels have been fighting to consolidate their gains as the international community weighs new moves to isolate the longtime Libyan leader, including the possibility of creating a no-fly zone over Libya.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned that Libya is at risk of collapsing into a "protracted civil war" amid increasingly violent clashes between the two sides.

Witnesses in Zawiya said pro-Gadhafi forces battled rebels for six hours overnight but could not retake control of the city 30 miles (50 kilometers) west of Tripoli. They said the last of several assaults by the Gadhafi loyalists came at around 3 a.m. local time.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_LIBYA?SITE=RIPAW&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[Turborama]

1. K&R I heard a resident of Zawiya being interviewed about this on AJE earlier

He sounded very proud and up for fighting whatever else Gaddafi wants to throw at him.