Libyan rebels who had advanced to within 80 km of Moamar Gaddafi’s stronghold in the capital were forced to retreat on Friday after coming under a barrage of rocket fire from government forces.
The rebels’ advance five days ago to the outskirts of the small town of Bir al-Ghanam had raised the possibility of a breakthrough in a four-month old conflict that has become the bloodiest of the “Arab Spring” uprisings. Rebel fighters who had been massing on a ridge near Bir al-Ghanam and preparing for an attack were now pulling back under fire from Russian-made Grad rockets, said a Reuters photographer in Bir-Ayyad, 30 km to the south.
He said the rocket barrage was now reaching as far back as Bir-Ayyad, a road junction in the foothills of the Western Mountains range south-west of Tripoli from where the rebels had launched their advance last week.
The reverse underlines the resilience of Gaddafi’s forces, who have withstood 15 weeks of bombardment by NATO missiles and warplanes, and attempts by rebels on three fronts to break through their lines.
Frustration at the slow progress is growing inside the military alliance, with some members worried about the cost, civilian casualties, and the fact the campaign has now been going on much longer than its backers anticipated.
There are also differences about how proactive NATO members should be in aiding the rebels, who are hampered by a lack of organisation and a shortage of equipment.
France this week became the first member of the anti-Gaddafi alliance to acknowledge that it had supplied weapons to the rebels, saying this was justified to protect civilians under threat from Gaddafi’s forces.