Sources: Gadhafi forces take rebel-held town

(CNN) — Forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi have wrested control of the town of Zuwara from rebels, an opposition spokesman and an eyewitness told CNN Tuesday.

Separately on Tuesday, at least two airstrikes were reported targeting the eastern city of Ajdabiya by pro-Gadhafi military jets, eyewitnesses told CNN. Ajdabiya is one of the cities between pro-government forces and the opposition stronghold in Benghazi. If Ajdabiya is retaken by government forces, it would give pro-Gadhafi forces access to roads leading to the heart of the opposition’s base.

Pro-Gadhafi forces with tanks and heavy artillery forcibly entered Zuwara Monday, clashing with rebels for several hours before subduing the town, the sources said.

Troops entered the town around 9 p.m. Monday and began shooting randomly into buildings, the opposition spokesman said, declining to be named for his safety. He is in Zuwara.

Tuesday morning troops announced they were in control, the spokesman said.

The town is relatively quiet Tuesday, with locals afraid to leave their homes, he and the eyewitness said.

Gadhafi is fighting to regain his dominance over the entire country after some towns and cities came under control of the armed opposition.

Zuwara is west of the capital Tripoli, which Gadhafi controls. The rebels’ stronghold is in Benghazi, to the east of Tripoli.

Rebels appeared Monday to have slowed the eastward advance of government forces toward Benghazi at the town of al-Brega.

But it was not clear late in the day who controlled al-Brega, which contains a large oil refinery and natural gas plant, said CNN’s Ben Wedeman, reporting from Benghazi, which is about two hours further east.

For the first time since violence erupted last month, forces opposed to Gadhafi did not allow members of the news media to go forward. They expressed concern that coverage from the rebel side of the lines could provide intelligence to government forces about the ragtag rebel forces’ tactics, or lack thereof.

Life in Benghazi appeared calm on the surface Monday. Stores were open and people went about their business. But some residents expressed an underlying fear that Gadhafi appeared to have gained the upper hand and was advancing his military forward as much of the rest of the world focused on the catastrophe in Japan.

Some expressed fear that Gadhafi may seek to block roads leading to Benghazi and other coastal cities, then lay siege to them. Some worried that, if Gadhafi reasserts control of those cities in eastern Libya that led the revolt against his rule, he might carry out bloody reprisals.

Forces loyal to Gadhafi have been fighting to recapture towns from the rebels since the uprising began last month.

En route to Washington after a weekend trip to Bahrain, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters Monday that the logistical challenges of enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya could be overcome. “If we are directed to impose a no-fly zone, we have the resources to do it,” he said. “The question is whether it’s a wise thing to do. And that’s the discussion that’s going at a political level.”

The Arab League voted Saturday to back a no-fly zone to protect the civilian population.

The Libyan Foreign Ministry has denounced the league’s move, calling it a “flagrant action against its charter,” according to state TV Sunday. It also reported that the ministry would welcome the arrival of a fact-finding mission sent by some African nations.

CNN’s Yousuf Basil and Reza Sayah and journalist Mohamed Fadel Fahmy contributed to this report.