Libya’s rebels ramped up a pre-Ramadan offensive on Wednesday, pushing Moamer Gaddafi’s troops into retreat in the east and preparing a fresh attack from the south of Tripoli. Rebels said they had chased the bulk of Gaddafi’s eastern army from the oil town of Brega while encircling loyalists holed up among oil installations in the northwest of the town.
As part of what now appears to be a countrywide effort to tighten the noose on Gaddafi before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan begins around August 1, insurgents in the west said they were awaiting orders to start a fresh offensive from the Nafusa Mountains southwest of the capital. During Ramadan, the endurance of even the hardiest volunteers will be tested by desert battle without food and water during the daytime fast observed by the faithful.
But at Brega, rebel gains were stymied by vast quantities of anti-personnel mines planted by retreating loyalist forces and the difficulties in attacking an estimated 200 Gaddafi troops that are fighting from positions near economically vital petrochemical facilities. That difficulty was laid bare late on Tuesday, when 24 rebel fighters died. It was by far the rebels’ bloodiest day since the battle for Brega began almost a week ago. According to a rebel military source, many of the casualties came when troops closing in on isolated Gaddafi forces were hit by a line-guided rocket attack. Outside the town, rebel troops continued to clear minefields that are holding up their advance, while trying to dislodge Gaddafi’s artillery to the west. Maghri Faraj, 25, said his tank unit had been on Brega’s outskirts — firing on Gaddafi positions across the town — when he was hit. “We came up from the south. We saw no sign of Gaddafi troops inside Brega,” he said. “We were firing beyond Brega. We fired and fired with no response, and then one rocket came in and knocked me off the tank. The next thing I know, I’m in the hospital.” Rebel military sources said some Gaddafi forces were arcing rockets over Brega down onto rebel positions from the town of Bishr, while the bulk of Gaddafi’s troops had retreated to Ras Lanuf, another oil town further west. Libyan government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim has denied that the rebels retook Brega. “They tried to recapture the town, but were repulsed losing 500 of their fighters in the battle,” Ibrahim said in Tripoli late on Monday. The rebels said Gaddafi’s troops inside the town were largely conscripts and volunteers.”The elite troops have withdrawn, they have left. The soldiers left in the city are stuck,” said Abdulrazag Elaradi, a National Transitional Council (NTC) member visiting the front. “They cannot go forward because they will be killed by the rebels and they cannot go back because they will be killed by Gaddafi’s men.” Citing intercepted radio chatter, another rebel military source said many of the men had been left without vehicles and warned they would be shot if they retreat to Bishr.
