Air raids hit Libyan oil city

Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have launched new air raids on the oil city of Ras Lanuf and are closing in on the western town of Zawiyah.

Fresh reports of rockets landing on Ras Lanuf came today, leading to a growing concern for the city's gas facilities, which if bombed, could spell disaster for people living in the area.

Further attacks

Aside from attacks in Ras Lanuf forces loyal to Gaddafi launched a bombardment near rebel positions around the east Libyan oil terminal of Es Sider today, blowing up storage tanks at the facility.

Rebels retaliated by firing back with rockets as a fireball exploded from one of the oil tanks and the sky above the terminal filled with black smoke.

Gaddafi's forces are also reported to have surrounded the rebel-held western town of Zawiyah, close to the capital Tripoli.

Tanks of forces closed in on the rebel-held main square and their snipers shot at anything that moved, rebel and resident sources said.

They said bodies were lying unrecovered in the ruins of many buildings destroyed in air raids earlier in the week and there was no one in the streets of the centre.

The Libyan government claims it has taken back the coastal town of Bin Jawad after heavy shelling there.

Gaddafi himself remains as defiant as ever, saying the Libyan people will take up arms if western powers get involved in events in Libya.

Three of his private planes left Tripoli. At least one of them, carrying a high-ranking official for talks with the head of the Arab League, landed in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

Gaddafi blames unrest on foreigners

Meanwhile, in his second televised speech in as many days, Gaddafi once again alleged involvement of foreigners in the rebellion against his more than 41-year-old rule.

In an address on state TV early today he warned of a plot to colonise Libya. As proof, he said his security forces had captured several foreigners during a raid on Monday.