Libyan rebels, supported by NATO air force, have increased attacks in Zawiyah and other western villages close to the Libyan capital, after reporting the capture of 17 government soldiers last weekend. Libya News…

In the early hours of Sunday the insurgents put up severe resistance to the government troops loyal to leader Muammar Gadaffi that thwarted the rebels’ initial attempt to move towards Tripoli, while the capital continues to be the target of NATO’s attacks. NATO aircrafts kept raids over military and civilian targets where Gadaffi’s government has established command and control center for their operations against rebels.

Reports from both adversaries were similar regarding intensity and success of skirmishes in Zawiyah but corroborated that land fighting was stronger in strategic areas such as in the coastal road to the Tunisian border.

Every

The Executive spokesman for Libya government and Muammar Gadaffi Moussa Ibrahim lowered the impact of the rebels’ attacks, saying it was very light, launched by a 20-25-strong group that was trapped after fighting the government forces at about 50 kilometers from Tripoli.

They do not represent any danger for us, insisted Ibrahim to journalists, without confirming and denying information about the capture of 17 soldiers loyal to Gadaffi during the surprise attack to Zawiyah.

The rebels’ spokesman told reporters that they plan to retake a key oil center in that town as part of the final objective, Tripoli’s collopse, and for that purpose they are hidden and training in the Western Mountains.

Meanwhile unconfirmed reports also referred that Gadaffi’s troops attacked a village in the western outskirts of Misratah, an strategic town at about 200 kilometres west of Tripoli, killing over 30 rebels.

[adrotate group=”20″ banner=”26″] [adrotate group=”20″ banner=”22″]