Libya veers towards civil war

Muammar Gaddafi loyalists swept into the opposition-held city closest to Tripoli today, tightening security around the regime-held capital. To the east, rebel forces captured a key oil port as the country veered toward civil war.

The contrasting fortunes of the two warring sides suggest that the conflict in Libya could last for weeks and maybe months, with neither side mustering enough military power to decisively defeat the other. The government is fighting fiercely to maintain its hold in Tripoli and surrounding areas and the rebels are pushing their front westward from their eastern stronghold.