Libyan rebels lose Sirte; fight for Bin Jawad

Libyan rebels retreated from Sirte, Gaddafi's hometown, as official forces unleashed heavy weapon fire on them on Tuesday, according to reports. The rebels who were pushed back into Bin Jawad are now digging their toes in there as fight is on for the control of the town.

Though rebel fighters were ably assisted by international forces in making rapid strides westward of Benghazi, further momentum evaded them as Gaddafi's forces intensified attacks.

Reuters reported that pro-Gaddafi forces chased rebel fighters down the road, making them retreat to Bin Jawad. Rebels jumped behind sand dunes to fire back, but they gave up after a few minutes, jumped into their pick-up trucks and sped off down the road to Bin Jawad. Shells landed near the road as they retreated.

BBC said in its live blog that Bin Jawad has now become the frontline of the battle. The opposition forces have stationed on the eastern side of the town while Gaddafi forces are on the western side. They are firing at each other, using Katyusha rockets and artillery. The report says neither force is in control of Bin Jawad at the moment.