High_Gravity
Belligerent Drunk
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Gaddafi Repulsed: The Rebels Hold Brega, for Now
Read more: Gaddafi Repulsed: The Rebels Hold Brega, for Now - TIME
In Brega, the sound of gunfire and sirens fill the air as ambulances rush through the streets of the oil refinery town as the forces of "Free Libya" try to blunt a counter-attack by Colonel Muammar Gaddafi who is intent on taking back lost territory. Witnesses told TIME that the battle had taken up a 150 kilometer stretch between Brega and the next significant town to the west, Ras Lanuf. At 5:30 p.m. Libya time, the battle front was the local university in Brega, which Gaddafi's planes had already bombed from the air, and where regime forces were surrounded by the rebels. Human Rights Watch director of emergencies Peter Bouckert, who was at the front lines with the "Free Libya" forces earlier in the day, told TIME that the rebels didn't really know how to operate rocket-propelled grenades when the fighting started. They were facing off against what was reported to Gaddafi forces including 75 trucks mounted with anti-aircraft guns. But the rebels were reinforced with their own anti-aircraft guns and, even though they were just as inexperienced at handling them, seemed then to get better control of the ground battle. By a quarter to 6 p.m., word spread that the "Free Libyan" forces had retaken the town from the regime, including the university and the western section where much of the fighting has taken place. Celebratory gunfire filled the air. But about 20 minutes later, the regime launched an airstrike against the celebration. Meanwhile, dozens of trucks continued to move reinforcements to Brega. The fight is definitely not over.
Read more: Gaddafi Repulsed: The Rebels Hold Brega, for Now - TIME