Gaddafi forces seize East town, send warplanes

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

BENGHAZI - Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have seized back Brega after violent clashes with rebels who had controlled the eastern town, Al Jazeera television reported.

Al Arabiya said an airport in the Brega area had been taken by forces loyal to Gaddafi. Al Jazeera reported that warplanes bombed Ajdabiyah, a town in the same area where rebels control a military base and arms dump.

Read more: http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=210447

---

Gaddafi loyalists advance to east

Forces loyal to the Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are moving into rebel territory in the east, taking the small town of Brega.

The BBC's John Simpson in the nearby city of Ajdabiya says the 100-vehicle convoy is expected to advance towards it, and have bombed an arms dump there.

¬snip¬

Our correspondent says Brega was defended by a handful of lightly-armed rebels, but Ajdabiya is much more important target.

It has a large arms dump which has been bombed several times by pro-Gaddafi forces.

The loyalists are now only a couple of miles from Ajdabiya, the defenders say.

more:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12618367

[maddezmom]

1. Source: Military attacks military camps in eastern Libya

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Military camps on the outskirts of Ajdabiya were being bombed by military airplanes Wednesday morning, a tribal leader said.

The tribal leader, who did not want to be identified for safety reasons, said youth in Ajdabiya were amassing and heading toward the conflict area to defend the town, which has been in the control of opposition forces in recent days.

Some military bases in eastern Libya have fallen into the hands of protesters as more members of the military have abandoned longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi's regime and joined demonstrations.

more:http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/02/libya.conflict/?hpt=T1

[Turborama]

2. I heard John Simpson's live report earlier as the 'arms dump' was bombed. He's on again now.

I'm getting flashbacks to when he did the reports from Romania & Tienanmen in 1989.

[pinboy3niner]

3. Benghazi's organising committee has just formally asked UN 2 help end Ghaddafi's air strikes in East

(Catherina posted this tweet in the Libya twitter thread. Marting Chulov is a correspondent for The Guardian.)


martinchulov Martin Chulov
Benghazi's organising committee has just formally asked UN to help end Ghaddafi's air strikes in eastern #libya
1 minute ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[maddezmom]

4. Reports: Gaddafi forces make gains

Forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, are reported to have regained control of two strategic towns in the country's northwest, even as opposition fighters in the east prepare to march on the capital, Tripoli.

The claims about the fall of Gharyan and Sabratha on Wednesday came as clashes were taking place in the eastern town of Brega, the headquarters of several oil companies.

A journalist from the nearby city of Ajdabiya confirmed to Al Jazeera that Brega was attacked by pro-Gaddafi forces, saying that about 100 cars carrying foreign fighters carried out the assault.

Earlier government forces were reported to be battling to regain control of rebel-held towns close to Tripoli, trying to create a buffer zone around what is still Gaddafi's seat of power.

more:http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2011/03/20113242554921501.html

[maddezmom]

5. reports of 14 killed

11:45am Arab satellite television reports that Gaddafi forces were violently moving into two eastern Libyan towns, that were previously under control of rebels. Al Arabiya television said 14 people were killed in the east Libyan town of Marsa El Brega after reports of a counter attack from Gaddafi forces.

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/live/africa/live-blog-libya-march-2

[maddezmom]

6. from The Guardian: Both government and rebel troops claim to hold Bregha, while planes bomb Ajdabiy

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/20 A rebel coalition has told Reuters Brega is under its control:

"We are probably going to call for foreign help, probably air strikes at strategic locations that will put the nail in his (Gaddafi's) coffin," Mustafa Gheriani, a spokesman for the rebel February 17th coalition, told Reuters.
"They tried to take Brega this morning, but they failed. It is back in the hands of the revolutionaries. He is trying to create all kinds of psychological warfare to keep these cities on edge," he said.
About Ajdabiyah, he said the town was " basically stable and our people are grouping to deal with any major assault. For now, it is still just hit and run."

11/mar/02/libya-uprising-gaddafi-live

[maddezmom]

8. Libyan government denies reports of attacks in east

Libyan government denies reports of attacks in east
Wed Mar 2, 2011 9:45am GMT
Print | Single Page<-> Text <+> TRIPOLI, March 2 (Reuters) - Reports of Libyan government counter-attacks on rebel-held towns in the east of the country are false, a Libyan government spokesman said on Wednesday.
http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFLDE7210PU20110302

[maddezmom]

7. CNN: Military attacks eastern Libya; opposition takes back al-Brega

Tripoli, Libya (CNN) -- Opposition members successfully fought to regain control of Libya's eastern town al-Brega Wednesday after armed forces loyal to ruler Moammar Gadhafi tried to take over the town, a resident said.

The resident said there were casualties in the fight, but the number is unclear.

The clash took place the same day as military airplanes bombed military camps on the outskirts of Ajdabiya, a tribal leader said.

The tribal leader, who did not want to be identified for safety reasons, said youth in Ajdabiya were amassing and heading toward the conflict area to defend the town, which has been in the control of opposition forces in recent days.

more:http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/03/02/libya.conflict/?hpt=T1

[maddezmom]

9. Al Jazeera reporter in Ajdabiya:Anti-Gov't forces bracing for a ground attack as Pro Gaddafi forces

are regrouping in a University Building in Ajdabiya.