Battle for Libyan town rages on

15 March 2011 Last updated at 15:32 Both sides have claimed control of the town of Brega Heavy fighting has been continuing in Libya between government and rebel forces, who are still battling for the oil town of Brega.

At one point, both sides simultaneously claimed control of the town.

In the west, government forces have moved into the rebel-held town of Zuwara and are shelling Misrata city.

After a meeting in France, the G8 group of nations urged action against Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi, but made no mention of a no-fly zone.

A UN envoy is currently in Libya, asking for an end to the violent response to opposition protests and immediate humanitarian access.

Government planes have also been bombing the outskirts of Ajdabiya, the last town before the rebel base in Benghazi.

The sounds of rocket fire has been getting louder in the town, while the frequency of ambulances and trucks bringing wounded to the main hospital has been increasing, AFP news agency reports.

Libyan state TV says the government has gained control of the town, but this has not been independently verified, and reports suggest that fighting is continuing.

'Convoy attacked'

In Brega, it seems rebel fighters have been hiding inside the oil installation in the daytime, in the belief that the government does not want to shell the facility, says the BBC's Jon Leyne in Benghazi.

Opposition sources are also saying there are divisions within the government ranks, with some troops apparently reluctant to fire on civilians, our correspondent adds.

Meanwhile, a convoy of five civilian vehicles travelling to Brega is reported to have been attacked, killing a number of women and children, our correspondent says.

And reports suggest government troops have taken over Zuwara, the last rebel town in the west, near the Tunisian border.

A resident in Zuwara said security forces were trying to round up anyone suspected of links to the rebels.

"They have lists of names and are looking for the rebels," the resident told Reuters news agency. "They also took a number of rebels as hostages."

The G8 group of foreign ministers, who have been meeting in France, have called on the UN to increase pressure on the Gaddafi regime, such as economic means.

But despite recent talk of the imposition of a no-fly zone - an idea backed by France - the group made no mention of the prospect in its final communique.

G8 foreign ministers "agreed that the UN Security Council should increase the pressure, including through economic measures, for Muammar Gaddafi to leave", said the French minister, Alain Juppe.

The Arab League has been pushing for a no-fly zone that would ground Libyan aircraft to protect people from assault by forces loyal to Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi.

US meets opposition leader

The US, Russia and other EU countries had reacted cautiously to the no-fly zone proposal ahead of the Paris meeting.

US Secretary of State Hillary of Clinton - who is attending the Paris meeting - has met a leader of the new opposition in Libya, Mahmoud Jibril, for 45 minutes at a Paris hotel and discussed ways the US could assist beyond humanitarian aid.

Divisions over any military intervention also emerged from a UN Security Council meeting on Monday.

A UN diplomat has said the plan is to circulate a draft resolution on Libya to Security Council members on Tuesday afternoon.

Also on Monday, UN envoy Abdul Ilah Khatib met Libyan Foreign Minister Moussa Kusa in the capital, Tripoli.

In the meeting, Mr Khatib, a former Jordanian foreign minister, reiterated demands for an end to the violence and requested access for humanitarian groups, a UN spokesman said.

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A.nemdil & Press Agencies