World Crisis Online

Rebels have been moving further west along the coastal road Continue reading the main story

Libyan state TV has said that troops loyal to Col Muammar Gaddafi have made significant gains against rebel forces.

They included the towns of Zawiya, Ras Lanuf, Misrata and even Tobruk in the far east.

Government officials said heavy gunfire across much of the capital, Tripoli, before dawn was celebratory.

The rebels have taken much of the country in a two-week insurrection against Col Gaddafi and have regularly denied claims they have lost towns.

One Agence France-Presse correspondent in Ras Lanuf said it was still in rebel hands.

‘Dancing in the square’ The gunfire in Tripoli began at about 0545 (0345 GMT).

The BBC’s Wyre Davies in Tripoli said machinegun and heavy weapons fire could be heard across the city.

Mussa Ibrahim, a government spokesman, told Reuters news agency: “I assure you, I assure you, I assure you, there is no fighting going on in Tripoli.

“Everything is safe. Tripoli is 100% under control. What you are hearing is celebratory fireworks. People are in the streets, dancing in the square.”

One resident who contacted the BBC said this appeared to be fighting and not celebration.

There have been protests against Col Gaddafi’s rule in Tripoli but the city has so far remained in his control.

The city has been his main stronghold as he attempts to reassert control over the country from rebels who have taken much of the east of the country as well as some towns closer to Tripoli, in the west.

On Saturday, residents of Zawiya, 50km (30 miles) west of Tripoli, said Col Gaddafi’s troops had fired indiscriminately on civilians as they attempted to capture the town.

In the east, the rebels had said they were advancing westwards on Sirte, the heavily defended hometown of Col Gaddafi.

After taking the oil terminal port of Ras Lanuf in heavy fighting on Friday, rebel forces then entered the town of Bin Jawad, 160kms (100 miles) from Sirte.

Associated Press said rebel fighters had advanced as far as the village of Nawfaliyah, 80kms (50 miles) from Sirte.

In their eastern stronghold of Benghazi, the rebels formed a 30-member National Libyan Council which it says is now the country’s sole representative.

The UN estimates that more than 1,000 people have died in the unrest in Libya, which follows public protests in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt that saw their presidents overthrown.

The UN Security Council approved sanctions last week imposing asset freezes and travel bans on Col Gaddafi and his family and aides. The resolution also referred Col Gaddafi and his inner circle to the International Criminal Court for investigation of crimes against humanity.

But in an interview with a French newspaper published on Sunday, Col Gaddafi said he would welcome a United Nations or African Union investigation into the violence in the country.