Gaddafi forces recapture towns as rebels flee

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.

It had taken more than five days of allied bombardment to destroy government tanks and artillery in the strategic town of Ajdabiyah before rebels rushed in and chased Gaddafi’s troops 300 km (200 miles) west in a two-day dash along the coast.

Two days later the rebels have been pushed back to close to where they started.