Libyan revolutionary forces, already on Monday in full control of several key cities, are reportedly advancing towards the capital, Tripoli.
Libyan revolutionary forces, already on Monday in full control of several key cities, are reportedly advancing towards the capital, Tripoli.
Anti-regime forces say they have captured the city of Sirt -- the hometown of embattled ruler Muammar Gaddafi.
However, reports suggest they are still locked in fighting with Gaddafi's troops.
At least nine explosions have been reported in the city on Monday. No further details are available.
The opposition forces have already taken control of the cities of Ras Lanuf, Ben Jawad, Uqaylah, Ajdabiyah and Brega.
They are now pushing their way westwards along the coastline towards Tripoli where Gaddafi is holed up.
Rebels said on Sunday they are producing 100,000-130,000 barrels of oil per day and will be exporting within a week.
Coalition forces bombed Gaddafi's southern tribal seat of Sebha leaving civilian casualties, state media reported, and Tripoli came under attack from what state television called "the colonial aggressor.”
Dozens of civilians have been killed in Libya since US-led forces launched aerial and sea attacks on the North African country.
Moreover, Libyan troops have also killed thousands of civilians since a revolution started against Gaddafi in mid-February, while Nato officially took command of military operations.
Meanwhile, Qatar recognized Libya's rebel Provisional Transitional National Council as the "sole legitimate representative" of the Libyan people, the second state to do so after France.
RUSSIA
Russian Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov has accused the US-led military coalition of igniting a civil war in the North African country.
He added that the US-led airstrikes were in violation of the UN Security Council Resolution 1973 that envisaged a no-fly zone only to protect civilians.
"We are currently seeing and hearing media reports, here as well as in Europe and in the US, saying that officials of the countries involved in this coalition are making statements that on the one hand are confirming that the only goal they are pursuing is the protection of the civilian population, but on the other hand reports are coming - and no one denies them - on coalition air force strikes against Gaddafi's columns of troops, reports about the support of the actions of the armed insurgents. There is a clear contradiction here. We believe that interference of the coalition in the internal - as a matter of fact - civil war, has not been sanctioned by the UN Security Council resolution," Lavrov told a news conference on Monday.
TURKEY
Turkey offered to mediate between the warring parties and will take over running the airport in Benghazi to facilitate the distribution of humanitarian aid. It will also treat the wounded in Turkey.
However, Recep Tayyeb Erdoghan, Turkey PM, expressed his country's agree upon Nato taking command of military ops in Libya.
US
US President Barack Obama prepared to give a prime-time television address aimed at winning the support of a war-weary American public for the military intervention in Libya.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said many Libyan diplomats and military leaders are defecting.
Foreign ministers from more than 35 countries will attend a London conference Tuesday to discuss military action against Libya, Britain said.
The rising civilian death toll in Libya has set off a frenzy of speculations about the real motive behind the war in the country, with many analysts saying that under the guise of protecting civilians, as enshrined in the UN Security Council resolution 1973, Washington and its Western allies are basically after the North African country's vast oil reserves.
