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Libyan forces repelled a coordinated attack by NATO forces and rebels against a strategic oil town in the east of the country, the government spokesman said Thursday.
The announcement came as Libya also barred Italy, one of the country's largest investors, from its oil sector because of Rome's role in the NATO airstrikes.
Moussa Ibrahim told journalists that rebel forces attacked the town of Brega backed by NATO forces in the sea and air in a coordinated attack that he said violated the alliance's U.N. mandate to protect civilians.
"It was a full scale attack and it was heavy and merciless," he said. "We were successful in combating this attack and we did defeat both NATO and the rebels and we killed many rebel forces and captured a good number of them as well."
Ibrahim's assessment of the fighting could not immediately be verified.
NATO is enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya and hitting government targets as part of a U.N. mandate to protect civilians. It is not, however, supposed to be the military arm of rebel ground forces, which have been trying to retake Brega for months.
"It proves NATO is not interested in democracy, protecting civilians or peace," added Ibrahim.
The civil war in Libya appears to have hit a stalemate, despite a protracted NATO bombing campaign against Gadhafi-loyal forces. Rebels control eastern Libya and pockets in the west, while Gadhafi is holding on to Tripoli and large stretches of western Libya.
The attack on Brega was apparently an effort to restart the stalled war as well as capture the country's valuable oil infrastructure.
On the western front, rebels reported retaking the western mountain village of Qawalish, 70 miles (120 kilometers) from Tripoli, from government forces Thursday after losing it the day before.
Spokesman Ibrahim scoffed at various reports of rebel successes, saying their few advances were only when Gadhafi's forces temporarily withdraw to avoid air strikes.
"As we withdraw, the 150 joyous rebels go dancing around with some reporters with them," Ibrahim said. "And the moment when NATO doesn't have enough rockets or bombs, the army moves back in, kills 20 or 30 rebels, and we have the town again."
Libyan officials have warned nations involved in the NATO campaign that they could be barred from investing or participating in the country's oil sector if they continue to side with the rebels. But Italy — Libya's former colonial master — appears to be the first country to be formally barred.
"The Italian government needs to totally forget about Libyan oil and every agreement we signed in the past," Prime Minister al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi told reporters in the Libyan capital. "ENI will have to look elsewhere for business."
There seem to be no immediate repercussions for ENI, the largest foreign energy company in Libya, since oil production in Libya has essentially shut down.
ENI's assets are nearly evenly divided between rebel-held and government-held territory, excluding offshore sites. ENI had no comment.
The Libyan prime minister said Libya was already in negotiations with Russian, Chinese and even American companies for future oil deals. He said Italy was specifically targeted because of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's once-close relationship with the North African nation and a friendship pact signed by the two nations.
"To add insult to injury, Berlusconi says he never agreed to the aggression and was pushed to participate," said al-Mahmoudi, referring to Berlusconi's July 7 comments that the Italian parliament forced his hand.
The announcement came as Libya also barred Italy, one of the country's largest investors, from its oil sector because of Rome's role in the NATO airstrikes.
Moussa Ibrahim told journalists that rebel forces attacked the town of Brega backed by NATO forces in the sea and air in a coordinated attack that he said violated the alliance's U.N. mandate to protect civilians.
"It was a full scale attack and it was heavy and merciless," he said. "We were successful in combating this attack and we did defeat both NATO and the rebels and we killed many rebel forces and captured a good number of them as well."
Ibrahim's assessment of the fighting could not immediately be verified.
NATO is enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya and hitting government targets as part of a U.N. mandate to protect civilians. It is not, however, supposed to be the military arm of rebel ground forces, which have been trying to retake Brega for months.
"It proves NATO is not interested in democracy, protecting civilians or peace," added Ibrahim.
The civil war in Libya appears to have hit a stalemate, despite a protracted NATO bombing campaign against Gadhafi-loyal forces. Rebels control eastern Libya and pockets in the west, while Gadhafi is holding on to Tripoli and large stretches of western Libya.
The attack on Brega was apparently an effort to restart the stalled war as well as capture the country's valuable oil infrastructure.
On the western front, rebels reported retaking the western mountain village of Qawalish, 70 miles (120 kilometers) from Tripoli, from government forces Thursday after losing it the day before.
Spokesman Ibrahim scoffed at various reports of rebel successes, saying their few advances were only when Gadhafi's forces temporarily withdraw to avoid air strikes.
"As we withdraw, the 150 joyous rebels go dancing around with some reporters with them," Ibrahim said. "And the moment when NATO doesn't have enough rockets or bombs, the army moves back in, kills 20 or 30 rebels, and we have the town again."
Libyan officials have warned nations involved in the NATO campaign that they could be barred from investing or participating in the country's oil sector if they continue to side with the rebels. But Italy — Libya's former colonial master — appears to be the first country to be formally barred.
"The Italian government needs to totally forget about Libyan oil and every agreement we signed in the past," Prime Minister al-Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi told reporters in the Libyan capital. "ENI will have to look elsewhere for business."
There seem to be no immediate repercussions for ENI, the largest foreign energy company in Libya, since oil production in Libya has essentially shut down.
ENI's assets are nearly evenly divided between rebel-held and government-held territory, excluding offshore sites. ENI had no comment.
The Libyan prime minister said Libya was already in negotiations with Russian, Chinese and even American companies for future oil deals. He said Italy was specifically targeted because of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's once-close relationship with the North African nation and a friendship pact signed by the two nations.
"To add insult to injury, Berlusconi says he never agreed to the aggression and was pushed to participate," said al-Mahmoudi, referring to Berlusconi's July 7 comments that the Italian parliament forced his hand.