NY Times:
Rebels seized Ajdabiya on Saturday, government and rebel forces said, succeeding in an effort to retake this key town in the east following another night of allied air strikes against forces loyal to Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi.
Libya’s deputy foreign minister, Khaled Kaim, acknowledged in a news conference that the Qaddafi government forces had “pulled back” from Ajdabiya and reiterated accusations that the international air strikes were killing civilians as they provided air cover for the advancing rebel forces.
In Ajdabiya, hundreds of cars were seen streaming toward the strategic town, which had been in the control by government forces for almost two weeks. Three large tank transport carriers also headed toward the city. There were reports of pockets of fighting, and heavy damage could be seen in the eastern part of the city as the rebels advanced. “People are celebrating,” said Najib al-Mukasabi, who was driving out of Ajdabiya north toward Benghazi. “The west and east gates are liberated. They’re back in Brega,” he said, referring to the government troops.
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I am sure the close air support put a lot of pressure on the Qaddafi forces, but I suspect logistics may have also had something to do with the retreat. If the troops were unable to get food and ammo there only real course of action was to retreat to someplace where they could. Eventually that may even be a factor in Tripoli as a ring tightens around what is left of the government forces in Libya.
Image by Getty Images via @daylife
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