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The spokesman, Gomma Ibrahim, says Gharyan fell on Saturday after brief clashes before Gadhafi's troops withdrew goo.gl/TIlfh #Libya
Libyan rebels claim capture of gateway to Tripoli
WADI EL-HAI, Libya (AP) — A Libyan rebel spokesman says rebel forces have siezed from Moammar Gadhafi's control a major mountain town that is a strategic gateway on the road to the capital, Tripoli.
The spokesman, Gomma Ibrahim, says the town of Gharyan fell on Saturday after brief clashes before Gadhafi's troops withdrew. He says residents welcomed rebel fighters as they entered.
Gharyan is located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Tripoli in Libya's western Nafusa Mountains. The mountain range is now largely under rebel control, and the town is key because it lies on the road north directly to the capital.
Rebels have launched a major new offensive from the Nafusa, trying to move into the coastal plain west of Tripoli.
