Blasts rock Libyan capital as rebels claim control of oil refinery

The thunderous blasts rattled a hotel where journalists stay in Tripoli.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s compound is near the hotel and a frequent target of air raids.

Nato jets flew overhead minutes after the blasts. It was not immediately clear what was hit or if there were civilian casualties.

Nato has bombarded military targets all over Libya since March when a no-fly zone was instituted. On Wednesday, RAF patrols carried out a series of strikes on targets, destroying a command centre at Zlitan and a commando base at Sabratah which was said to have been used by Gaddafi’s forces to launch reprisal attacks against the local population.

Another patrol took out a tug boat which had been commandeered by regime troops fighting at the oil refinery at the key coastal town of Zawiya, about 50 miles west of Tripoli

Yesterday rebel fighters clashed again with troops in the city and claimed victory in gaining control over the refinery there.

“We have full control over the Zawiya oil refinery and we have liberated the whole city except two main streets,” said Col Ali Ahrash.

Gaddafi troops were still in control of Gamal Abdel-Nasser Street and were hiding in the hospital there, he said. A few more troops were patrolling in eastern Zawiya.

Since the rebels entered Zawiya last week – their most dramatic advance yet after months of stalemate – Gaddafi’s troops have been pounding homes, mosques and streets with rockets and mortar fire.

Col Ahrash said: “In the past three days we have lost 70 fighters and more than 55 were injured.”

He said rebels have control of the cities of Surman, Sabratha and Zwara, as well as the road to Tunisia from Tripoli.

Libya’s civil war began in February, with the rebels quickly wresting control of much of the eastern half of the country, as well as pockets in the west.

The conflict later settled into a stalemate with the rebels failing to budge the front lines in the east since April.

However, in recent weeks, rebels based in the western Nafusa mountains have advanced toward Gaddafi-held towns along the coast.

The capture of the 120,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Zawiya is more a symbolic coup for the rebels, without having a major impact on Gaddafi’s ability to secure fuel.

The flow of crude to the refinery from fields in the south-west of Libya had largely been halted since midsummer.