Rebels are closing in on Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, pushing back his fighters in a fierce battle in one key coastal city and seizing another town as they advanced toward his remaining bastion, Tripoli.

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s forces launched a fierce counterattack in a strategic western city today, firing rockets, mortar shells and anti-aircraft guns in a bid to keep the rebels from gaining complete control and advancing towards Tripoli.