AJDABIYA, Libya (AP) - Libyan rebels clinched their hold on the east and seized back a key city on Saturday after decisive international air strikes sent Moammar Gaddafi's forces into retreat, shedding their uniforms and ammunition as they fled.
Ajdabiya's initial loss to Gaddafi may have ultimately been what saved the rebels from imminent defeat, propelling the U.S. and its allies to swiftly pull together the air campaign now crippling Gaddafi's military.
In Ajdabiya, drivers honked in celebration and flew the tricolor rebel flag. Others in the city fired guns into the air and danced on burned-out tanks that littered the road.
Their hold on the east secure again, the rebels promised to resume their march westward that had been reversed by Gaddafi's overwhelming firepower. Rebel fighters already had pushed forward to the outskirts of the oil port of Brega and were hoping to retake the city on Sunday, opposition spokeswoman Iman Bughaigis said, citing rebel military commanders.
"Without the planes we couldn't have done this. Gaddafi's weapons are at a different level than ours," said Ahmed Faraj, 38, a rebel fighter from Ajdabiya. "With the help of the planes we are going to push onward to Tripoli, God willing."
The Gaddafi regime acknowledged the air strikes had forced its troops to retreat and accused international forces of choosing sides.
Air strikes Friday on the city's eastern and western gates forced Gaddafi's troops into hasty retreat. Inside a building that had served as their makeshift barracks and storage, hastily discarded uniforms were piled in the bathroom and books on Islamic and Greek history and fake pink flowers were scattered on the floor.
Saif Sadawi, a 20-year-old rebel fighter with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher in his hands, said the city's eastern gate fell late Friday and the western gate fell at dawn Saturday after air strikes on both locations.
The U.N. Security Council authorized the operation to protect Libyan civilians after Gaddafi launched attacks against anti-government protesters who demanded that he step down after 42 years in power. The air strikes have crippled Gaddafi's forces, but rebel advances have also foundered, and the two sides have been at stalemate in key cities.
Analysis: "While promising, news of these rebel advances should be taken with a grain of salt. The end to this conflict is not likely to come for some time. When it does come, a rebel victory will be due to Gaddafi's loss of support within his own forces, not the rebels overrunning loyalists in the heart of Tripoli. With that said, as his forces pull back towards the capital, they become easier and more lucrative targets for coalition air strikes. On the other hand, as the Colonel's forces move back, they are likely to hunker down in heavily populated areas that are less susceptible to attack from the air. This defense by loyalists could signal the beginning of a very different conflict, with plain-clothed militias battling for control of Libya's urban enclaves."
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