Ajdabiya–Rebels fighting Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi advanced westward on Tuesday aiming to retake the oil town of Brega in a push to extend their control over the east of the North African country.
Blasts rumbled around the desert as the offensive, launched on Sunday, gathered momentum after weeks of deadlock between rebels and Qadhafi forces on the eastern front. The fighting has killed at least 13 and wounded dozens, rebels and doctors said.
"There is fighting happening there right now. We have advanced to 20km (east of) Brega. They (rebels) are advancing now. Very soon they will be in Brega," said fighter Osman al-Maghrabi, 35, who used to serve in Qadhafi's army.
"I think we will be having Friday prayers in Brega this week," he added. Another rebel said their forces had retreated a few kilometers since Monday but were now pushing west again.
A convoy of Russian-designed armored personnel carriers fitted with anti-aircraft guns rolled past Ajdabiya's western gate toward Brega, 75km west of Ajdabiya. Rebels seated on top cheered, waved opposition flags and fired in the air.
Dozens of pick-ups mounted with machineguns also sped along the coastal highway snaking westwards toward Brega, the deep blue of the Mediterranean sparkling in the sun to the north.
Rebels had mounted similar advances many times in the past and failed. Battered pick-up trucks with machineguns had long been their main workhorse in the desert but this time the level of deployment appeared to be more serious.
Taking Brega is important for the rebel forces. Beside some small settlements and Ras Lanuf oil terminal, the road beyond is mostly open desert to Sirte, Qadhafi's hometown.
Charred hulks of Qadhafi tanks destroyed in Western air strikes were scattered along the road. NATO forces have bombed Qadhafi loyalist positions here in past weeks and have used attack helicopters, deployed to enable more accurate targeting.
BATTLE FOR OIL HUB
Brega – a sprawling coastal town home to an oil export terminal and other oil installations – has changed hands several times since the revolt against Gaddafi's four-decade rule erupted in mid-February.
Rebels had initially raced along the main coast road from Ajdabiya to Brega, Ras Lanuf and beyond but were thrown back, more than once, by Qadhafi's superior firepower.
Given Brega's strategic role, Qadhafi troops have dug in and put up a fierce defense, blocking a new rebel push westward.
The eastern front line has barely shifted as Qadhafi forces shelled and ambushed rebel convoys trying to reach the oil hub.
Locals said rebel morale was now stronger and they were determined to break the deadlock. People in Adjabiya cheered as armored vehicles rumbled past toward Brega on Tuesday, waving rebel tricolor flags and flashing peace signs.
"We are pushing for Brega. We are optimistic," said Mohamed Abdel-Karim, a doctor at the main hospital in Ajdabiya, 860km (540 miles) east of the capital.
"Two days ago we received 50 wounded and seven dead, and yesterday, 37 wounded and six dead. Today it is quiet so far, but we are ready for new casualties."
In Ajdabiyah, a ghost town since hostilities began in February, life appeared to return to normal, albeit slowly. Many house fronts and mosques were pockmarked with gaping holes from rocket propelled grenade attacks and bullet marks.
But some shops were open and doctors in the main hospital said they had enough supplies and medicine.
"It was never entirely quiet in this hospital. Now there is a lot more happening," said a junior doctor in Ajdabiya hospital, who gave his name only as Khaled.
"Our revolutionaries are fighting hard. They are united and they will take Brega soon. Qadhafi will not last long."
At a checkpoint on the western side of Ajdabiya, rebel soldiers inspected ammunition belts from their machineguns and prepared shells for a long-range missile system deployed nearby.
They waved and smiled at passing rebel pick-ups and armored vehicles. Although locals had seen similar attempts to retake Brega in the past, many were still optimistic.
"We will take it (Brega) in one week, I am sure. I want it to be this way," said Salah Buzed, 33, a civil servant. "Everyone, my family, my neighbors all think so."
