11:24am UK, Monday March 28, 2011
David Connolly, Sky News Online
Explosions were heard in Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's home town of Sirte - as the rebel advance west towards the capital Tripoli was halted by Libyan government forces. Sky's Sam Kiley, in Bin Jawad, said: "The rebels are about 60 miles from Sirte istelf, which is where they were blocked when they were advancing the first time round. "There have been some coalition airstrikes and some outgoing rockets fired by the rebels on Sirte but clearly the Gaddafi elements are going to put up a fight for Gaddafi's hometown." Rebel fighters came under heavy machine-gun fire from government loyalists in pick-up trucks on the road from Bin Jawad. The rebels set their sights on Sirte as Nato finally took full command of military operations in Libya from the US-led coalition, enabling the alliance to strike at Col Gaddafi's forces if they threaten civilians.
