Tripoli/Washington, March 27
Libyan rebels today claimed to have recaptured five strategic towns of Ajdabiya, Brega, Ras Lanuf, Uqayla and Bin Jawad as French fighter jets struck hard at Muammar Gaddafi's forces destroying five fighter planes and two helicopters. 68-year-old Gaddafi's opponents had reportedly pressed onto the key town of Brega, 80 km to the west, after reclaiming Ajdabiya, amid indications that the tide may be turning against the embattled leader due to the aerial attacks by US-led coalition forces.

Al-Jazeera said that while it appeared that the rebels had taken over the town of Brega, it remained unclear who controlled the nearby oil port.Earlier, rebels celebrated on the streets of Ajdabiya after driving pro-Gaddafi forces out of the town.

Gaddafi's forces controlling the ring road that goes around Ajdabiya have now been cleared from that position, the Arab channel said.But Libyan government officials claimed that the army had been withdrawn to save residents from more bloodshed. BBC reported that the rebels have seized the eastern coastal town of Brega and Uqayla without a fight. The rebels also took control of Bin Jawad, about 50 km from Ras Lanuf, after coalition air attacks desroyed several tanks, which seen smouldering on the road. The rebels claimed that they had full control of the oil town of Ras Lanuf and were pursuing Gaddafi's forces west.

In Misurata, shelling by Gaddafi’s forces stopped last evening when western coalition planes appeared in the sky, a rebel was quoted as saying. According to the French armed forces, around 20 of their aircraft supported by an AWACS surveillance plane struck targets yesterday, including five Galeb fighter jets and two MI-35 helicopters on the ground outside Misurata. Gaddafi’s aircraft were caught on the ground at Misurata air base preparing to launch attacks in an area of the rebel-held town.

France is one of the coalition countries enforcing a UN no-fly zone aimed at protecting civilians British missile strikes also destroyed three armoured vehicles in Misurata and two more in Ajdabiya, the Royal Air Force said in a statement.

Libyan state TV said there were more air strikes overnight at Sabha in central Libya, adding that military and civilian areas had been hit, but there was no independent confirmation. It also spoke of strikes near Gaddafi’s power base of Sirte, on the Mediterranean coast east of Tripoli. — PTI