Tripoli, April 04: Libyan revolutionary forces have advanced towards the key oil town of Brega without any resistance from forces loyal to Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi.
Government forces fled before the revolutionaries reached within a distance of eight kilometers from Brega,
On Sunday, regime forces ambushed revolutionaries in the same area forcing them to retreat.
The oil town of Brega, which has changed hands for a seventh time in six weeks so far, came under heavy assault by pro-regime forces over the past few days, as they also struggled to penetrate deep into the city of Ajdabiya— a key oil town just 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the opposition stronghold of Benghazi.
Meanwhile, the US says it has agreed to a NATO request to conduct airstrikes on Libya through Monday.
The Pentagon says the raids are part of efforts to protect civilians from the regime forces. It also says NATO will take the lead after Monday.
The US military planned to begin withdrawing its combat jets and Tomahawk missiles from the air campaign against Libya this weekend.
—-Agencies