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Libyan rebels backed by allied air strikes recaptured the strategic
eastern town of Ajdabiyah on Saturday, pushing out Muammar Gaddafi’s
forces.

Rebel fighters danced on tanks, waved flags and fired in the air by
buildings riddled with bulletholes after an all-night battle that
suggested the tide is turning against Gaddafi’s forces in the east.

A Reuters correspondent saw half a dozen wrecked tanks near the
eastern entrance to the town and the ground strewn with empty shell
casings. There were also signs of heavy fighting at the western gate,
the last part of the town taken from government troops.

“Everything was destroyed last night by our forces,” said rebel
fighter Sarhag Agouri. Witnesses and rebel fighters said the whole town
was in rebel hands by late morning.

Capturing Ajdabiyah is a big morale boost for the rebels after two weeks spent on the back foot.

Gaddafi’s better-armed forces halted an early rebel advance near the
major oil export terminal of Ras Lanuf and pushed them back to their
stronghold of Benghazi until Western powers struck Gaddafi’s positions
from the sea and air.

Air strikes on Ajdabiyah on Friday afternoon seem to have been decisive.

The African Union said it was planning to facilitate talks to help
end the war, but NATO said its operation could last three months, and
France said the conflict would not end soon.

In Washington, a U.S. military spokeswoman said the coalition fired
16 Tomahawk cruise missiles and flew 153 air sorties in the past 24
hours attacking Gaddafi’s artillery, mechanized forces and command and
control infrastructure.

Western governments hope the raids, launched a week ago with the aim
of protecting civilians, will shift the balance of power in favor of
the Arab world’s most violent popular revolt.

In Tripoli, explosions were heard early on Saturday, signaling possible new strikes by warplanes or missiles.

GADDAFI OFFERS PROMOTIONS

Libyan state television was broadcasting occasional, brief news
reports of Western air strikes. Mostly it showed footage — some of it
grainy images years old — of cheering crowds waving green flags and
carrying portraits of Gaddafi.

Neither Gaddafi nor his sons have been shown on state television
since the Libyan leader made a speech from his Tripoli compound on
Wednesday.

State TV said the “brother leader” had promoted all members of his
armed forces and police “for their heroic and courageous fight against
the crusader, colonialist assault.”

The United States said Gaddafi’s ability to command and sustain his forces was diminishing.

Officials and rebels said aid organisations were able to deliver
some supplies to the western city of Misrata but were concerned because
of government snipers in the city center.

Gaddafi’s forces shelled an area on the outskirts of the city, killing six people including three children, a rebel said.

Misrata has experienced some of the heaviest fighting between rebels
and Gaddafi’s forces since an uprising began on February 16.

At African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, AU commission chairman
Jean Ping said on Friday the organization was planning to facilitate
peace talks in a process that should end with democratic elections.

It was the first statement by the AU, which had opposed any form of
foreign intervention in the Libya crisis, since the U.N. Security
Council imposed a no-fly zone last week and air strikes began on Libyan
military targets.

But in Brussels, a NATO official said planning for NATO’s operation
assumed a mission lasting 90 days, although this could be extended or
shortened as required.

France said the mission could go on for weeks.</