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Moammar Gadhafi's forces have reached the outskirts of another rebel stronghold after making recent gains in Libya's west.
A resident and a rebel fighter in Ajdabiya (ajh-DAH-bee-yah) say government fire is pounding the city's entrance. The resident says warplanes are taking aim at fuel depots, forcing families either to flee the city or hide inside.
Rebel spokesman Ahmed al-Zwei said Gadhafi's forces were still some 12 miles (20 kilometers) away but were hurling long-range missiles. He said warplanes bombed the western entrance, killing at least one fighter.
Gadhafi has scored several recent victories, including the capture of Zwara, the last rebel-held town west of Tripoli, and a tightening blockade on Misrata, Libya's third-largest city.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
TOBRUK, Libya (AP) — Moammar Gadhafi's forces captured the last rebel-held town west of Tripoli after a heavy barrage of tank and artillery fire Tuesday as regime forces pressed forward in the east.
The victory in Zwara, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the Tunisian border, solidifies Gadhafi's hold in his western stronghold, reversing gains made by rebels in several cities early in the uprising against his rule that began on Feb. 15.
Gadhafi's gains in recent days have increased pressure on the U.S. and other Western powers to intervene to stop the bloodshed.
The Obama administration on Monday held its first high-level talks with the Libyan opposition and introduced a liaison to deal full time with their ranks. But it remained undecided about exactly how much support to lend a group it still knows little about while turmoil and uncertainty increase across the Arab world.
Government troops surrounded the town of 45,000 on Monday and bombarded it with tanks and artillery for hours starting in the morning, killing at least four rebel fighters, several residents said.
Rebels conceded that Zwara had been taken by government forces on Tuesday, although sporadic street battles were ongoing.
Most of the fighting was concentrated in the seaside suburbs of the town, leaving residential buildings pockmarked from shrapnel, one rebel said. Most civilians had fled.
The fighter, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said rebels were tossing dynamite and shooting at army troops patrolling the town in cars packed with seven to 10 soldiers, many sitting in the open trunks of the vehicles. But he said the attacks were designed to wear down Gadhafi's better-equipped forces, not to defeat them.
A resident and a rebel fighter in Ajdabiya (ajh-DAH-bee-yah) say government fire is pounding the city's entrance. The resident says warplanes are taking aim at fuel depots, forcing families either to flee the city or hide inside.
Rebel spokesman Ahmed al-Zwei said Gadhafi's forces were still some 12 miles (20 kilometers) away but were hurling long-range missiles. He said warplanes bombed the western entrance, killing at least one fighter.
Gadhafi has scored several recent victories, including the capture of Zwara, the last rebel-held town west of Tripoli, and a tightening blockade on Misrata, Libya's third-largest city.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
TOBRUK, Libya (AP) — Moammar Gadhafi's forces captured the last rebel-held town west of Tripoli after a heavy barrage of tank and artillery fire Tuesday as regime forces pressed forward in the east.
The victory in Zwara, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the Tunisian border, solidifies Gadhafi's hold in his western stronghold, reversing gains made by rebels in several cities early in the uprising against his rule that began on Feb. 15.
Gadhafi's gains in recent days have increased pressure on the U.S. and other Western powers to intervene to stop the bloodshed.
The Obama administration on Monday held its first high-level talks with the Libyan opposition and introduced a liaison to deal full time with their ranks. But it remained undecided about exactly how much support to lend a group it still knows little about while turmoil and uncertainty increase across the Arab world.
Government troops surrounded the town of 45,000 on Monday and bombarded it with tanks and artillery for hours starting in the morning, killing at least four rebel fighters, several residents said.
Rebels conceded that Zwara had been taken by government forces on Tuesday, although sporadic street battles were ongoing.
Most of the fighting was concentrated in the seaside suburbs of the town, leaving residential buildings pockmarked from shrapnel, one rebel said. Most civilians had fled.
The fighter, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said rebels were tossing dynamite and shooting at army troops patrolling the town in cars packed with seven to 10 soldiers, many sitting in the open trunks of the vehicles. But he said the attacks were designed to wear down Gadhafi's better-equipped forces, not to defeat them.