The last supply lines of Gaddafi

Rebel fighters in North-Western Libya claimed to have seized two key towns along the last remaining supply lines that connect Tunisia to Tripoli. One of these supply lines enters the Libyan capital from the south, traversing through Gharyan, which rests on the easternmost point of the mountain chain. The other more important route passes through the refinery town of Zawiya along a well-paved coastal road which connects Tripoli to Tunisia. If both these towns (especially the much larger population center of Zawiya) fall under permanent control of rebel forces, Tripoli risks being cut off from its primary sources of fuel. U.N. sanctions bar the export of petroleum products to Libya, and it is primarily the poorly enforced border controls with Tunisia that allow for fuel shipments to enter Gadhafi-held territory. The direct coastal road from Ras Jedir is the primary route. A much more circuitous route does exist, passing from Ghadamis (at the nexus of the Libyan-Tunisia-Algeria border) along the southern rim of the Nafusa Mountains, and then northward through Gharyan, but it is less efficient than the coastal route. With NATO patrolling the skies and waters around Libya, rebel control of the two towns would force the Gadhafi regime to rely almost entirely on its fuel reserves for its energy needs, which, depending on their size, could prove devastating.

Turkey continues to supply Libyan rebels with diesel

Turkey continues to ship diesel fuel to Libyan rebels, effectively joining Qatar and trader Vitol in supporting the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi. Turkey is preparing to deliver a third shipment of fuel to the rebels in the East as part of a multi-million dollar deal.
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's forces fired a Scud missile for the first time since the uprising against his rule began six months ago, but it landed in the desert and injured no one. The missile was fired on Sunday morning from a location about 50 miles (80 km) east of Sirte, Muammar Gaddafi's home town, and landed east of the coastal oil town of Brega.

Libyan Interior Minister may have left Gaddafi

The arrival of the Libyan Interior Minister in Egypt with all members of his family might be the sign that he abandoned his leader, Muammar Gaddafi, although he claimed to have arrived in Cairo on holiday together with "only" nine members of his family.

Rebels in Libya advance North

After a six-hour battle with pro-Gaddafi forces, rebels in Western Libyan advanced North to almost 25 km (15 miles) of the coastal city of Zawiyah on Saturday.

Russian sanctions against Libya

The Russian President Dmitri Medvedev signed a decree enforcing the sanctions against the Libyan regime of Moammar Gaddafi adopted by the UN in March. Measures include interdictions on financial transactions with the Gaddafi regime.

Troops loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi are still in control of the oil terminal and refinery of the strategic eastern port of Brega despite rebel advances, a spokesman for rebel forces said on Friday.[..

Toughened international sanctions against Lybia

In a move to toughen international sanctions against Lybia, the European Union added Libya's Al-Sharara Oil Services Company and the Organisation for Development of Administrative Centres (ODAC) on the black list of entities subject to restrictions.

Tunisia curbs illegal fuel traffic with Libya

Tunisian authorities seized five trucks with fuel smuggled to Libya, in a move to curb an illegal trade aimed at helping to keep Muammar Gaddafi in power.

Rebel Executive Committee of Libya dissolved

Libyan rebels have dissolved their executive committee after "shortcomings" by some members in the handling of the shooting dead 12 days ago of their military chief, a rebel spokesman said on Monday. [...](Reuters, 21h31)
Libya's rebels have set up a force to protect oil fields that have come under their control during six months of fighting against the army of Muammar Gaddafi, rebel officials said on Monday

Gaddafi forces take control of Bir al-Ghanam

A press conference of Baghdadi Mahmoudi, Prime Minister of Libya, confirmed that Bir al-Ghanam (80 km South-East of Tripoli) fell again in the hands of Gaddafi forces. 

Qatari ammo for rebel fighters in Libya

A shipment with ammunition for insurgent fighters in Libya was delivered on 07.08.2011 by a Qatari plane that landed shortly in the rebel-held Libyan city and took off after offloading ammunition crates destined for rebel fighters.

The National Transition Council tries to lead the coordination of the insurgents, with the leader of the Council, Moustapha Abdeljalil, asking for unity against the regime of Muammar Gaddafi.

Insurgents in Libya occupied Bir Ghanam

The strategic town of Bir Ghanam, 80 km South of Tripoli was occupied by insurgents on 06.08.2011.

Death of Libyan leader's son denied by government spokesman

Libyan rebel forces announced the death of Khamis Gadhafi, the son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, and 32 others after an overnight NATO strike on an operations center in the western Libyan town of Zliten. A spokesman for the Libyan revolutionary militia groups, Mohammed Zawawi, said spies within Gadhafi's forces confirmed that Khamis was among the dead. The information was later denied by a Libyan government spokesman.

Possible alliance with Islamists in Libya

Seif al-Islam, the son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, said on August 4 that an alliance with radical Islamist elements within the Libyan rebels is to be announced soon. He boast reaching this agreement with local Islamists in the rebel-held eastern city of Darna, intended to become an "Islamic zone, like Mecca."
Ali Sallabi, Libyan Islamist leader confirmed negotiations with Seif al-Islam are under way, but denied any alliance. He added that Libyan Islamists supported the rebel leaders' calls for a pluralistic democracy without any participation of the Gadhafi family.

Worrying evolution in Libya

A surprise counter-attack started on 02.08.2011 by forces loyal to Libya's Muammar Gaddafi in the town of Zlitan led to 7 dead. Other 65 persons wounded in the attack were sent to Misrata hospital. In its efforts to mediate the conflict, the Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz received the envoy of the National Transition Council, some five days after the visit of the UN official in charge with Libya affairs.

The Libyan tribe of General Abdel Fattah Younes, the recently killed rebel military leader, warned that his suspicious killing last week will be revenged if a comprehensive investigation is not properly fulfilled.