Gaddafi forces consolidate position

Muammar Gaddafi’s forces swept rebels from a key oil town with waves of strikes from warships, tanks and warplanes, closing on the opposition-held eastern half of Libya as insurgents pleaded for a UN-imposed no-fly zone.

Mr Gaddafi’s troops have been emboldened by a string of victories in the struggle for Libya’s main coastal road but their supply lines are stretched and their dependence on artillery, airstrikes and naval attacks makes it hard for them to swiftly consolidate control of territory, particularly at night.