Libyan rebels today claimed they were less than 20 miles from Muammar Gaddafi's main stronghold of Tripoli, a day after opposition fighters launched their first attack on the capital itself.

An apparent Nato airstrike has again targeted the area near Muammar Gaddafi’s compound during a pre-dawn raid in the Libyan capital Tripoli.

NATO carried out some of its heaviest strikes on Tripoli yesterday after it emerged that Britain and France are to deploy attack helicopters in Libya in an effort to break the stalemate in the conflict.

MUAMMAR GADDAFI’S forces attacked two west Libyan towns yesterday, killing dozens, while rebels were pinned down in the east and NATO tried to resolve a dispute over who should lead the Western air campaign.

MUAMMAR GADDAFI’S forces bombarded Libya’s third largest city with artillery fire and advanced on the rebel stronghold of Benghazi as diplomatic steps to prevent him quelling a revolt ran aground.