Rebel town falls to Gaddafi's forces after tank and artillery pounding

Colonel Gaddafi's forces captured the last rebel-held town west of Tripoli today after pounding it with tank and artillery fire.

Rebels admitted that Zwara, about 30 miles from the Tunisian border, had fallen to the dictator's soldiers.

In the east of Libya, Gaddafi's regime launched fresh attacks. They reached the outskirts of rebel-held Ajdabiyah and were reported to be firing missiles at the entrance.

Warplanes were targeting fuel depots, forcing families to flee the city or take refuge in the centre.

Rebels were also struggling to hold Misurata, Libya's third-largest city, 125 miles south-east of Tripoli, which was suffering from a naval blockade imposed by Gaddafi's military.
A doctor said they were stopping aid ships. "We are short of antibiotics and surgery supplies and disposable equipment," the doctor said. "We are pleading with the international community to help us."

However, British and French efforts to rally international support for a no-fly zone over Libya suffered a fresh rebuff today as the G8 group of nations refused to agree.

Germany is understood to have joined Russia in rejecting military intervention. "We are very sceptical about any military intervention, including a no-fly zone in Libya," said Germany's foreign minister Guido Westerwelle. "We do not want to get sucked into a war in north Africa." Britain, though, sought to increase pressure on the Libyan leader, stressing that his regime had committed "multiple breaches" of a UN Security Council resolution.

French foreign minister Alain Juppé said France expected a UN resolution this week offering support for Libyan rebels, but stopped short of giving details.