Libyan rebel fighters on Saturday made important gains as they advanced toward the towns of Gharyan and Zawiyah (Zawia), attempting to completely cut off the southern coastal route from access to the outside world along the coast road and Tunisia from where the Al Qathafi forces appeared to be using for supplies.

Most importantly, after a six-hour battle the rebels advanced north to within 25 km of the coastal city of Zawiyah west of Tripoli pushing the front line to its closest point to the capital since the uprising against the Muammar Al Qathafi regime began in mid-February. They are certainly winning the conflict and now hope to capture Zawiyah

Zawiyah lies less than 50 km west of Tripoli, on the main road to Tunisia, which has served as a lifeline for Al Qathafi-held areas of Libya, although the Tunisian authorities have recently begun to crack down on rampant smuggling of gasoline.

It is the home town of many of the rebels battling on the western front and has staged two uprisings against Gal Qathafi since March. Up till now, it appears that it is keeping control but losing it very quickly. If the rebels' push intensifies, in a short while it could fall into the hands of the rebels along with its refinery and harbour on the Mediterranean coast.

When the rebels eventually manage to take it, Al Qathafi's territory, that has been shrinking by the day, if not hours will not be sufficient for the regime to recover. That would be the end for the Libyan leader who despite propagandists, appear to be losing face and support all the time.

Aided by NATO planes that had had been hitting targets in these areas, the ground attacks by the rebels have been very effective. They reportedly pushed government troops back about seven kilometres from their previous positions, fixing a front line about five km north of the village of Bir Shuaib, near a diaper factory.

The rebels said it had been a heavy battle, with pro-Al Qathafi forces using anti-tank guns, but there was no loss of life. Government troops are said to have withdrawn without too much resistance.

In the meantime, hundreds of Libyan families have been evacuating and fleeing from the Al Qathafi stronghold and Libya's capital, Tripoli to head towards safer ground, in the Nafusa Mountains. The families have been making use of desert back roads that appeared to be less guarded amid the fighting to reach their destination.

The rebels reported registering at least 55 families that that have fled Tripoli in the past three days for the Nafusa mountains. Many were originally from the west but had escaped to Tripoli when the fighting broke out in the mountains months ago.

On other fronts amid the fighting, to the east of Tripoli, at Brega and near Misurata, at least 21 rebels and six soldiers were killed over the past two days. About 50 others were wounded.

Before today's advance towards Zawiyah, neither side was claiming major gains in the past 24 hours.

Libya's state news agency, JANA reported that a NATO air strike killed six men in Brega, with NATO claiming it only targeted two armoured vehicles there.

Judging by impact craters, wrecked buildings and burned-out tanks witnessed by journalists, over the past week NATO warplanes also bombed government military targets on the route of the western rebel advance to Zawiyah, providing close air support.

The Libyan regime reportedly took dozens of villagers and tribesmen to Tripoli on Friday to tell of NATO air strikes during the week in Majar, near Zlitan, claiming the attacks killed 85 civilians.

NATO said it could not confirm claims by the regime that civilians were killed in the bombing. It said that its surveillance said that the compound targeted was a military accommodation site and staging base.

On Friday, Libya's deputy foreign minister Khaled Kaim on Friday said the rebels could not take Zawiyah and the western coastal highway. "In their dreams." But in a reaction, a local rebel commander by the name of Mokhtar Lakdar said: "God willing, we will be attacking Zawiyah in one or two days."

By the looks of things, Lakdar's forecast seems to be the more accurate.

On yet another front, a spokesman from the Brega battle said rebels were fighting their way south from the residential town toward the terminal, 15 km away and had knocked out two government tanks. But Al Qathafi's forces still control the port, oil terminal and refinery.

Brega has changed hands several times over months of fighting in eastern Libya and the rebels are now more intent than ever to seize the oil facilities to begin exporting oil from Brega.

The Al Qathafi forces have also lost the town of Tawargha lately with Al Qathafi clinging to power despite a near five-month-old NATO air campaign, the tightening of economic sanctions and a lengthening war with rebels trying to end his 41-year rule.