Fierce battles are still going on in Libya’s eastern cities, with reports opposition fighters are fronting long-time ruler Moammar Gaddafi’s forces, which are raiding the key oil port of Brega.

Fierce battles are still going on in Libya’s eastern cities, with reports opposition fighters are fronting long-time ruler Moammar Gaddafi’s forces, which are raiding the key oil port of Brega.

Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that Brega, one of many towns controlled by the opposition, has come under air attack again, quoting a resident in Brega Mohammed Shibli as saying: "I heard the plane, then the explosion then saw the crater."
Shibli added that the bomb landed near the University for Oil engineering which is about 2 km (1 mile) from the oil exporting terminal.

"There was an air strike about an hour and a half ago. I saw it with my own eyes," said Awadh Mohammed, a volunteer with the opposition forces.

The opposition army readied anti-aircraft guns and manned checkpoints amid reports of fresh air strikes in the Mediterranean coastal town by Gaddafi's forces, AFP news agency reporters said.

"Gaddafi's forces are preparing another attack for today" so more forces from the nearby town of Ajdabiya have moved to Brega to join the fighting, Mahmoud al-Fakhri told AFP as he manned a checkpoint at the exit of Ajdabiya.
He said he had heard that there had been more air strikes in Brega, but this could not be confirmed independently.

A day earlier, some of the toughest fighting, since the uprising in Libya began last month, has taken place in Brega.
About 300 men loyal to Gaddafi attacked Brega early on Wednesday morning. Residents said 10 civilians were killed in the fighting.

About 75m far from Berga, fighters in Ajdabiyah were bolstering their defenses after yesterday's air attacks.
Reuters said that opposition forces showed more enthusiasm than experience at handling arms, struggling under the weight of the rounds or working out how to use more advanced weapons, determined to hold their ground in Ajdabiyah, home to a military arms dump...

At one entrance to Ajdabiyah, fighters worked through the night to consolidate defenses, adding rocket launchers, anti-tank weapons and anti-aircraft guns. Rebels also manned three tanks.
"Praise God we have weapons," said fighter Drees Abdulwahid, 42, smiling and raising both hands to the sky.

Another fighter said he had four days training in how to use an anti-aircraft gun. Others struggled to load the belts of 10-inch long bullets into the weapon. One young man staggered under the weight of the belt.