Libyan freedom fighters retake Ajdabiya, advance on Brega

Libyan freedom fighters retook the strategic eastern town of Ajdabiya which they lost over a week ago, as air strikes by coalition warplanes pound forces loyal to Gaddafi.

(VOA) — Libyan rebels chanted and fired their automatic rifles into the air after capturing the strategic town of Ajdabiya, which controls key roadways into eastern Libya. Coalition warplanes earlier had bombed Gaddafi’s military targets in Ajdabiya, destroying several tanks. A rebel spokesman said African mercenaries were killed in the fighting. Al-Arabiya TV showed several dozen African mercenaries, captured by the rebels.

(Al Jazeera) — Libyan rebels are advancing westwards after recapturing the strategic eastern town of Ajdabiya from government controls with the help of coalition airstrikes.

Reports on Saturday afternoon suggested rebels had already pressed onto the oil-port town of Brega, 80 kilometres to the west.

“We are in the centre of Brega,” rebel fighter Abdelsalam al-Maadani told the AFP news agency by telephone.