Retreating loyalists of Muammar Gaddafi killed scores of detainees and arbitrarily shot civilians over the past week, as rebel forces extended their control over the Libyan capital, survivors and a human rights group said.

LIBYAN rebels fled in headlong retreat from the superior arms and tactics of Muammar Gaddafi’s troops yesterday, exposing the insurgents’ weakness without Western air strikes to tip the scales in their favour.

MUAMMAR Gaddafi’s better armed and organised troops yesterday reversed the westward charge of rebels and world powers meeting in London piled pressure on the Libyan leader to end his 41-year rule.