Reply #56: Gaddafi forces dig in around Brega oil town - rebel

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UPDATE 1-Gaddafi forces dig in around Brega oil town - rebel
Tue Apr 26, 2011 12:30pm GMT

By Michael Georgy and Deepa Babington

AJDABIYAH, Libya, April 26 (Reuters) - The Libyan army has reinforced positions around the eastern oil town of Brega and dug in its long-range missile batteries to conceal them from attacks by NATO warplanes, a rebel army officer said on Tuesday.

Rebels intent on overthrowing Muammar Gaddafi fought battles with government loyalists for weeks after an uprising erupted in February, but fighting has reached stalemate on the desert road between Brega and Ajdabiyah, 80 km (50 miles) further east.

Insurgent fighters reported clashes in Brega last week. Comments by rebel officer Abdul Salam Mohammed suggested Gaddafi now had clear control of the town, which is home to a major oil exporting terminal.

"There are 3,000 government troops in Brega and the next two towns. They have been building up their presence," he told Reuters on the western edge of Ajdabiyah.

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http://af.reuters.com/article/libyaNews/idAFLDE73P19920110426?sp=true