Rebels Claim Capture of Brega Oil Hub
Libyan rebels have taken "all" of the strategic oil hub of Brega in the east of the country, a rebel military official told Agence France Presse on Saturday.
"The industrial zone is under our control, all Brega is now under our control," the top-ranking official said on condition of anonymity, a day after rebels claimed they had seized two other key towns as they pushed their advance on the capital Tripoli.
"Gadhafi forces are withdrawing to the west, toward Bishr," the official said.
For nearly a month the rebels, backed by NATO air raids, have been trying to seize the port city of Brega, about 240 kilometers southwest of the rebel capital of Benghazi.
It was formerly the main route for oil exports from central Libya.
Surrounded by desert, Brega houses an oil refinery, a port, a residential complex and industrial facilities, and extends about 10 kilometers east to west along the shores of the Mediterranean.
About 10 days ago the rebels had captured most of the city's residential area, in eastern Brega. They progressed slowly since then, facing strong resistance from pro-regime soldiers hidden in the abandoned industrial facilities.
The rebels on Friday claimed to have taken the strategic towns of Zawiyah -- an oil refinery town that supplies the Libyan capital -- and Zliten as they push their way to Tripoli.
Source: Agence France Presse
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